Sunder Kand with Hanuman Chalisa

Spiritual Hindu Calender

Categories

e Books

What is Navratri ? " Navratri " or "Navaratri " literally means "nine nights." Navratri is celebrated twice a year, once at the beginning of the New Samvatsar (Hindu New year) in Summers and again at the onset of winter. Navratri or Navratra are therefore known as Chaitra Navratra and Shaardeya Navratra on the basis of their occ […]

The Mahabharatha, is the greatest, longest and one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana. With more than 74,000 verses, plus long prose passages, or some 1.8 million words in total, it is one of the longest epic poems in the world. This wonderful Grantha (Sacred book) was composed by Bhagvan Sri Veda Vyasa (Krishna Dv […]

Bhagvan Shri Adi Sankara was one of the greatest saints of his time.He was born in a Brahmin family in Kerala. After brahmopadesa, as is usual during those times, Bramhmachari were asked to beg alms for his lunch. One day when little Adi Shankara went to a Brahmin house, the lady of the house was so poor that she did not have anything to give him. She search […]

The Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, also known as Devi Purana, was composed into 12 chapters, containing 18000 verses by the great Veda Vyasa. Though classified as an upa-purana it is the only purana Vedavyasa called "Maha Purana" meaning the great purana.

Sri Devi Mahathmyam is one of the most enduring and popular Hindu scriptures of all times, filled with the stories and the exploits of the Mother Goddess, as she assumes various forms and avatars, from time to time to vanquish evil and restore righteousness and goodness in the world. The seven hundred verses of Devi Mahathmyam form one of the cornerstones of […]

"Namo nama Shri Guru padukabhyam"Episode 61:Ravan sends his men to Kumbhakaran's palace to wake him up from his deep sleep. They take mountains of food for him and try to awaken him with their shouts, drums and trumpets. At last, Kumbhakaran gets up and has his meal. He is told about the war and the humiliation Ravan is suffering. Ravan goes t […]

"Namo nama Shri Guru padukabhyam"Ramayan Episode 51:Ravan discusses the matter with his courtiers and sends Sukh to seduce Sugriv from his loyalty to Shri Ram. Sukh meets Sugriv and says: "You are a king and Ravan is another. Earn his friendship instead of risking your life for helping a disinherited prince." Sugriv sends him back, saying […]

"Namo nama Shri Guru padukabhyam"Valmiki advises her to give up attachment which binds mortals to Earth. King Janak visits Ayodhya.02-11King Janak's conversation with Shri Ram. He shows Ram the letter Sita left him and tells Ram that he is proud to have a daughter like Sita.02-12Janak asks Ram to visit Mithila because Devi Sunayana is unwell.G […]

"Namo nama Shri Guru padukabhyam" [Armour of Hanuman with Five Faces]Translated by P. R. Ramachander Sri Hanuman Ji assumed this form to kill Mahiravana, a powerful rakshasa black-magician and practitioner of the dark arts during the Ramayana war. Mahiravana had taken Lord Rama and Lakshmana captive, and the only way to kill him was to extinguish f […]

"Namo nama Shri Guru padukabhyam"Episode 13: Celebrations mark the proclamation of Shri Ram as heir to the throne Manthra provokes Kaikayee Kaikayee gets into a rage 13.113.213.313.4Episode 14: King Dashrath also gets into an angry state of mind Kaikayee requests for two wishes King Dasharath relents to his promise Bharath is hailed as future king […]

Bharat the Spiritual Guru of the World In this context The following verse (shloka) from the Mahabharat (18.5.46) is important. अष्टादश पुराणानि धर्मशास्त्राणि सर्वशः । वेदाः साङ्गास्तथैकत्र भारतं चैकतः स्थितम् ॥ Meaning : The eighteen Purans, all the scriptures (Smrutis) and the Vedas are on one side and Bharat (ancient India) on the other. (So great is the […]

The one who reads with peace, This octet on Hari, Which is the destroyer of sorrow, Would definitely reach the world of Vishnu, Which is always without sorrow, And he would never undergo sorrow ever. Continue reading →

O Thou Invisible One! O Adorable One! O Supreme! Thou permeatest and penetratest this vast universe from the unlimited space down to the tiny blade of grass at my feet. Thou art the basis for all these names and forms. Thou art the apple of my eye, the Prema of my heart, the very Life of my life, the very Soul of my soul, the Illuminator of my intellect and […]

Everything is verily a manifestation of God; where then do differences, delusion,misfortune and misery exist? They exist in the „seeing‟ without right knowledge. For as you see,so is the world. Continue reading →

INTRODUCTION Of Indian Jyothish or Hindu Jyothish or Vedic Jyothish. Vedas are the oldest, the most authentic and the most sacred scriptures to understand the mysteries of nature Vedas are oldest books in the library of the world.' The date when did the Sourya Mandal came into existence is written in " BramandPuraan ". Continue reading → […]

The terms Rudraksha literally means the "Eyes" of Shiva and is so named in His benevolence. Shiva Purana describe Rudraksha's origin as Lord Shiva's tears. He had been meditating for many years for the welfare of all creatures. On opening the eyes, hot drops of tears rolled down and the mother earth gave birth to Rudraksha trees. Continue […]

Navagraha Stotra Mala For Daily Recital for the blessing of all Nine Grahas Continue reading →

The free & open productivity suite

Google Desktop Sidebar with gadgets: Free and installs in seconds , Desktop search • Search your computer as easily as you search the web with Google • Find and launch applications and files with just a few keystrokes Sidebar with gadgets

Get a fast, free web browser

Adobe PDF Reader

Jai Guru Dev

This Blog is an Humble attempt to spread the Divine Message of Pujjya BapuJi & Dedicated at the Lotus feets SHRI CHARANKAMAL Of PARAM PUJYA GURUJI SANT SHRI ASARAM JI BAPU VishwaGuru Of the Age.

The essence of Bharata lies in Her culture of Self-realization. ParamAtman is not seen as something apart, but as our very essence, the one True Self that resides in the heart of us all. Raising ourselves from ordinary individuals to the heights of Supreme Consciousness is only possible with the guidance of one who is already in that transcendent state. Such a one is called a Satguru, a True Yogi, as in one who has gained mastery over the mind, one who is beyond the mind.

From ancient times up to the present day, an unbroken succession of Self-realized Saints have incarnated in the Land of Yogis & Saints Bharata to lead seekers of Truth to the ultimate reality.

The Ganesha Purana (Sanskrit:गणेश पुराणम्; ) is a Hindureligious text dedicated to the Hindu deity Ganesha (Gaṇeśa). It is anupapurāṇa that includes many stories and ritualistic elements relating to Ganesha. The Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana are core scriptures for devotees of Ganesha, known as Ganapatyas (Gāṇapatya). These are the only two Purana that are exclusively dedicated to Ganesha.
The Ganesha Purana asserts its status as one of the eighteen upapuranas in its opening lines (I.1.8-9):
“There are, however, eighteen minor Purāṇas such as the Gaṇeśa, theNārada, the Naṛsiṁha, etc. Amongst these, firstly I am going to recite the Gaṇeśa Purāṇa which is rarely heard, especially by someone in the world of mortals.”[2]
the followers of Ganesha, known the Ganapatyas, dedicated to the worship of Ganesha as their preeminent deity. They considered Ganesha to be the qualified (saguṇa) form of the ultimate unqualified (nirguṇa) Brahman. The Ganesha Purana is pervaded with this concept and interprets well-known Puranic stories in new ways to emphasize the importance of Ganesha and to explain his relationships with other divinities.

The Ganesa Purana is divided into two sections. The Upasanakhanda (upāsanākhaṇḍa) or “section on devotion” has 92 chapters, and the Kridakhanda (krīḍākhaṇḍa) or “section on the divine play (of Gaṇeśa)” has 155 chapters. The Kridakhanda is also called the Uttarakhanda (uttarakhaṇḍa) in the colophons.[8] Chapter 46 of the Upasanakhanda includes a stotra (hymn) that is the source text for one of the best-known versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama(hymn of praise listing 1,000 names of Ganesha). This stotra is recited in many temples today as a living part of Ganesha devotion.

Sri Ganesha Sahastranaam Pdf
Long, long ago, at a time which nobody can visualise, Lord Brahma sat on a lotus in his abode, Satya Loka. Satya Loka also means “The Realm of Truth”.
Lord Brahma who had been busy at Creation felt tired and yawned. His yawn cracked the mountain peaks. Fire erupted from the cracks and the flames leaped to great heights. As sleep overcame him, his eyes welled, and the tears came down in torrents causing great floods. When Brahma closed his eyes, the universe was enveloped in darkness.

Soon it was time for daybreak. The Lord’s consort, Devi Saraswati, played the raga Bhoopalam, an early morning raga, on her veena. The music emanating from the veena awoke Brahma and his four faces surveyed the four directions – north, south, east and west.

The Lord saw that the floods below had risen to a great height. Amidst the layers of waves rising from the waters, he noticed a streak of bright light. The light seemed to move. Looking more intently, Brahma saw a big banyan leaf floating on the waters. On it lay a baby as bright as the full moon. The infant was sucking his thumb. As the leaf came closer, he noticed that the infant had an elephant’s head. The trunk was playing with the toes and his face was brilliantly lit. Brahma looked at the infant’s four hands with fascination. He hadn’t got over his awe when suddenly, the leaf disappeared along with the infant on it. Water receded from the place where the leaf had disappeared. Oceans and seas were formed and the earth came into being.

After the fascinating vision he had, Lord Brahma resumed his activity of creation. As mountains arose, he sprinkled water from his kamandalu on them. The water took spring and flowed down as rivers. Soon trees and plants took root on the earth. The earth was also endowed with rich elements like gems and gold. Brahma created animals and birds, insects and reptiles to live on the earth, and gifted the seas and oceans with fishes of innumerable varieties. Once again, he poured water from his jug and mixed it with clay. Lo and behold! The two forms he created with this were those of man and woman.

All this while, Saraswati was playing on the veena. Suddenly, the divine instrument struck a discordant note, and the Devi wondered what could have happened. She looked at her lord and saw that Brahma’s faces had suddenly turned pale. He rose from the lotus and peered intently at the earth. His eight eyes met with some strange sights. He was perplexed to see that everything that he had created had turned topsy-turvy.

The mountain-peaks had dived into the earth and the base of the mountains shielded the sun’s rays from reaching the earth. Trees stood upside down with the roots protruding out into the sky. The birds were flying backwards, and the fishes stood stock-still in the seas and oceans. The animals appeared grotesque with some without heads, some sans limbs or eyes or nose, and some with tails attached to their faces!
Brahma was horrified.

Now this was not how he had imagined and created them. With trepidation, his eyes turned to the human beings. Some of them had two heads – one of a male and the other of a female; some walked about with no head at all; some men had stunted legs; some women’s legs were as long as tall trees; some men had their heads facing backwards; some others had four legs and some others went about hopping on single legs. All these living beings – humans, animals, birds, and others were weeping, howling and shouting as if they were finding fault with their Creator. “O Lord Brahma! You have four heads but none of them seems to be all right! Otherwise, how could you make all of us so ugly looking?”

The Lord was completely shaken. He looked at Saraswati with some fear. Would she also appear like? Brahma asked aloud: “Why and how have my creations turned so distorted? I had conceived their shape, size, colour and character, and had created them accordingly. I can’t believe what I see now!” Brahma in his anxiety spoke so loudly that his words echoed from all corners of the universe. As he looked around, he once again saw a streak of light coming towards him. It was from a figure which had an elephant-head, and four hands which held a string of rope, a pot, an axe, and a goad. The face was as bright as the moon. The brilliance had spread up to the skies.

Saraswati was then playing Aum (omkaram), the supreme sound, which reverberated all over the universe. As she saw the brilliant figure, her fingers spontaneously strummed a hymn of salutation to the elephant-headed figure. Later, she played several ragas in praise of the divine form. The elephant-headed figure blessed Brahma, who now acquired a lustrous aura around him. Brahma’s hands folded automatically into a namaskar. He paid obeisance to the figure and said: “O Benevolent One, may I know who you are. Please forgive me for I am not able to recognise you. Kindly shower your blessings on me!”

“My son, Brahma deva!” said the figure affectionately. “You may conceive many things, and resolve to do many things but all of them may not happen, because there could be obstacles. I am the one who removes obstacles to help fruition of whatever one imagines or desires to happen. I am, therefore, called Vighneswara or Remover of obstacles. I am the master ofPanchabhootas or the five ganas, who are the attendants of Siva. Therefore, I am also known as Ganapati. I can control and rein in even mighty destroyers like the mad elephants that trample over ripe fields and grasslands. You may call me Vigneshwara in future”.

Brahma wanted to know why all his creation had become distorted. “That was to teach you about obstacles”, said Vighneswara. “When I first appeared to you as an infant on a leaf, you did not understand the significance of the vision that you saw. And so you did not care to think of me, the Remover of obstacles. It did not occur to you to pray to me. If you want to remove obstacles, you must first offer prayers to me. As I told you, I control and check all hurdles. If anyone prays to me before attempting any activity, then they will surely be successful.

“Do you know what it means to be praying to me before commencing a task? It only means that you must launch into a task with your eyes fully open; you must know the obstacles you are likely to face on your way. I am nothing but the personification of that knowledge of obstructions and difficulties. Whoever starts a new task, be it Brahma himself or a mere man, it is important that he knows the full extent of his work, the risks and responsibilities that go along with it. Only one who is forewarned and forearmed can even dream of success. The elephant tests the strength of the ground with its trunk before moving forward. Among the animals, the elephant is the largest and the most intelligent. It is vital to be as intelligent as an elephant and it is to indicate this that I have assumed the head of an elephant. As I am elephant-headed, I am also known as Gajanana.

Lord Ganesha continued, “While you were asleep, a demon called Somakasura stole the four Vedas and hid them somewhere in the ocean. Lord Vishnu then incarnated as a fish and killed the demon and retrieved the vedas, and gave them to me. Once you receive those Vedas from me, you will not face any obstacles to your activityâ€. Lord Brahma gratefully accepted the four vedas that were handed to him by the elephant-headed god. He began singing in praise of Vighneswara, and promised that he would offer prayers to him before he started his activity.Please bless me so that my task proceeds smoothly.”
Vighneswara turned to Brahma, saying, “Here, I withdraw all that you created till now. Creation is an art, and should not be made a degrading activity. You must make the universe a creation of beauty.

After blessing Brahma, the elephant-headed figure disappeared. At that time, Saraswati was playing another Carnatic raga called Hindolam. A bright light lit the sky. Lord Brahma once again started creation after chanting “Aum Vighneswaraya namaha!”
His chanting was heard all over the universe. All that he created now were perfect in shape and size, and looked beautiful. After seeing the creations, Saraswati was inspired to play different ragas.

The four incarnations of Ganesha

The Kridakhanda of the Ganesha Purana narrates the stories of four incarnations (Sanskrit:अवतार; avatāra) of Ganesha, each of which appeared in the four differentyugas.
These four are not the same as the eight incarnations of Ganesha that are described in the Mudgala Purana.
Mahotkata Vinayaka (Mahotkaţa Vināyaka), who has ten arms and a red complexion. Different sources list his mount (vāhana) as either an elephant or lion. He was born to Kashyapa (Kaśyapa) and Aditi in the Krita yuga. The name Kāśyapaḥ (descendant of Kaśyapa) for Ganesha refers to this incarnation.[13] This incarnation killed the demon brothers Narantaka (Narāntaka) andDevantaka (Devāntaka), as well as the demon Dhumraksha (Dhūṃrākşa).
Mayuresvara (Mayūreśvara), who has six arms and a white complexion. His mount is a peacock. He was born to Shiva and Parvati in the Treta yuga. He incarnates for the purpose of killing the demon Sindhu. At the end of this incarnation he gives his peacock mount to his younger brother Skanda, with whom the peacock mount is generally associated.
Gajanana (Gajānana), who has four arms and was born with a red complexion. He has a mouse as his mount. He is born to Shiva and Parvati in the Dvapara yuga. He incarnates for the purpose of killing the demon Sindura (Sindūra), who was so-named due to his reddish-pink complexion (see: Sindoor). It is during this incarnation that Ganesha gives the discourse known as the Ganesha Gita to King Varenya.
Dhumraketu (Dhūmraketu) is grey in colour, like ash or smoke (dhūmra). He has either two or four arms. He has a blue horse as his mount. He will come to end the decline of the Kali yuga. During this incarnation he kills numerous demons. Grimes notes that there is a parallel between this incarnation of Ganesha and the tenth and final incarnation of Vishnu, where he will ride upon the white horse Kalki

The Purana specifies many methods of worship, key beliefs, and philosophical positions of the Ganapatya sect. The contents of the Ganesha Purana are difficult to summarize because they include a variety of stories and devotional material. The general purpose of the work can be inferred from this set of questions that Vyāsa puts to Brahmā in the tenth chapter of the first Book
“Who is this Ganesha? What is his real appearance (Sanskrit:स्वरूप; svarūpa; also spelled svarupa) and how can it be known? To whom has he previously been kindly disposed, four-faced god? How many are his incarnations and what deeds did they perform? Who previously worshipped him and in respect of what deed was he called to mind?”
The last chapter of the first book summarizes the lengthy narratives by saying:
“I have narrated the worship (Sanskrit:उपासना; upāsanā; also spelled upasana) of Ganesha to you in the course of a sequence of many tales. (I.92.53)[2]
These statements confirm the role that this Purana plays in establishing the relationship between Ganesha and his followers through the use of traditional Puranic stories

The Ganesha Purana

Chapter 1:

The sages said, O very wise one who is expert in the Vedas and the Satras. Repository of all spiritual knowledge, you are the most qualified guru we have found. You are omniscient and of perfect character. You have appeared because of the pious deeds we have performed in this and previous lives. Our life is this world is now very auspicious and we, as well as our ancestors, the Vedas, the sastras, our austerities and hermitages are blessed.

O best of the Brahmins, we have heard the eighteen Puranas at length and now would like to hear the others as well. For twelve years we have engaged in Saunaka Rsi’s great sacrifice and our only reason for stopping is to drink the ambrosia of your tale.

Suta Gosvami said, O illustrious ones, due to your meritorious activities, your questions are very suitable. The inquiries of those who are virtuous and even-minded are beneficial to all living beings. O Brahmins, I also feel happiness when reciting these transcendental stories, especially in the association of pure devotees such as yourselves.

In any case, there are also eighteen minor Puranas such as the Ganesha, Narada, Nrsimha, etc. I am going to first recite the Ganesha Purana, which is rarely heard in this mortal world. Simply by hearing it, a person will have all his desires fulfilled. Neither Brahma nor Sesa can describe its majesty. But with your permission, I will recite it in summary. Those who have performed pious activities over many lifetimes are qualified to hear it. But those rebellious souls, atheists and demons will not hear it.

Since the post of Ganesha is eternal, without material qualities and has no beginning, no one seeks to describe His real appearance. However, those who are devoted and worship Him can describe His appearance, which is full of transcendental qualities. The blessed Lord Ganesha has the form of OM and He is situated as the first syllable of the Vedas. The great sages and demigods led by Indra always remember Him in their hearts and Brahma, Siva, Visnu and Indra continually worship Him, the cause of creation and cause of all causes.

At His command Lord Brahma creates the universe. At His command Lord Visnu maintains the universe. At His command Lord Siva destroys the universe. At His command the Sun, Lord of the day, moves throughout the universe. At His command Vayu directs the wind. At His command Varuna causes the waters to flow in all directions. At His command the stars shine in the sky. At His command Agni burns in the three worlds.

O Brahmins, His pastimes are hidden and not just told to anyone, but as I reveal them to you, please listen attentively. Brahma narrated it to the immeasurably splendid Vyasadeva. Vyasa narrated it to Bhrgu Muni and Bhrgu to the great King Somakanta. Myriads of meritorious results belong to those who visit sacred places, give gifts in charity, perform austerities, sacrifices and take vows. But for those who hear the Ganesha Purana, excellent Brahmins, wisdom blossoms and their minds turn away from worldly existence, land, wives and sons. They become excellent devotees, attentive to the pastimes of Ganesha, Lord of the Peacocks. So hear about His greatness by listening to this Purana’s tale of the great King Somakanta.

In Devanagara in the province of Surastra there was a king named Somakanta. He was well versed in the vedas and sastras and understood the meaning of the dharmasastras. Twenty elephants, two thousand horses and six thousand chariots followed him when he marched out from his kingdom. He also had countless foot soldiers, some of whom carried weapons made of fire and others who carried bows with quivers of arrows. He surpassed Brhaspati in intelligence, Kubera in wealth, the earth in patience and in depth, the ocean. And the king also surpassed the sun in brightness, the moon in splendor, heat in fire and Kamadeva, the god of love, in handsomeness. His five ministers were powerful and resolute, and were also expert politicians. In this way they defeated their enemies. The first minister was called Rupavat and another was Vidyadhisa. There was also Ksemamkara, Jnanagamya and the fifth was called Subala. Due to their great prowess they conquered various countries. They were very handsome when dressed up in a variety of attractive clothes and ornaments. Always engaged in their dharma they were all very dear to the king.

The king had a wife named Sudharma who was endowed with all good qualities. The other wives of the king were named Rati, Rambha and Tilottama. These queens, because of their jealousy toward Sudharma, could not find happiness anywhere. On Sudharma’s ears were splendid golden earings studded with many precious gems. On her neck she wore a golden ornament covered with pearls. On her hips she wore a girdle made of various jewels and wore matching anklets on her feet. She wore rings on her fingers, toes and hands and possessed valuable clothes by the thousands and of many colors. She was devoted to and revered her illustrious king and was also very generous and hospitable to her guests. In this way Sudharma served her husband day and night always obeying his command.

The king and queen bore an excellent son named Hemakanta who had the strength of a myriad of elephants. He was wise and courageous and instilled fear in his enemies.

Excellent Brahmins, such was Somakanta, best of kings. After he had conquered the entire earth, he established a kingdom based on dharma, sacrifice and generousity.

Thus ends the first chapter of Ganesha Purana Upasanakhanda called “The Description of Somakanta”

Chapter 2

Suta Gosvami said, Sages, now you must all hear about Somakanta’s past sinful life. As a consequence of his past karma, that virtuous king suddenly began to ooze with leprosy, which was very painful. Whether it is good or bad, karma always accompanies the living being. Whatever works a man does become karma which he experiences in future lives.

As if he was a boat in the ocean, he became immersed in an ocean of sorrow. And he felt so much pain as if bitten by a snake. The distressed king’s body was completely covered with many sores dripping with purulent blood and worms. Seemingly filled with consumption, the king became very thin and deranged with anxiety. He experienced pain in all of his senses. Then having controlled his mind, with great effort, the king spoke to his ministers.

The king said, Curse my kingdom and my body. Curse my strength, my life and wealth! What has caused this disastrous karma to manifest? I have surpassed Soma in splendor, hence I am called Somakanta. And I have protected the good, the wretched, those who are versed in the Vedas, their hermitages as well as all the nations and every being as though they were my very own sons. And with my arrows I have defeated ferocious enemies. I have conquered the entire earth. And with a subdued mind and no false attachments, I correctly worshipped Sadasiva as the Supreme Self.

My body was previously scented fragrantly, but because I now emit a foul smell, my life is useless. For that reason and with your permission, I am going to the forest. For the sake of my kingdom, you must consecrate my son, Hemakanta, who possesses valor and intelligence, as king, and protect him courageously. I will never be able to show my face in this world. For me, there is no point in having a kingdom, nor wives, nor life, nor regal splendor. Prime Ministers, I will go the forest and practice austerities for my own liberation.

Suta said, Excellent Brahmins, after the king spoke he fell to the ground, like a tree blown over by the wind, with his body covered in warm purulent blood. The ministers and young women cried out loudly and the rest of his subjects made dreadful cries of distress. But by the minister’s use of healing herbs and sacred medicines, and by fanning him and wiping his body with soft clothes, they revived the king. When the king started to feel better they spoke to him as follows.

The Ministers said, Because of you, O king, we have enjoyed happiness equal to that of Indra. How are we going to live without you? We will all become as evil as the killers of mother cow. Your worthy son will now rule the kingdom. He is a strong leader, a subduer of his enemies and possesses great wealth. But leaving behind all happiness, we will now accompany you to the forest.

Suta said, Then his chief wife and heroine, Sudharma, declared that she would accompany the king to the forest and serve him. I will stay with him until the end. But you ministers should stay. You must help my son rule the kingdom as I would. When one is joined with another person, they must suffer or enjoy the results of their previous karma together. At the same time, an individual suffers or enjoys the results of their own deeds, and that is uniquely experienced by them alone. So the king enjoyed the pleasures of the kingdom and I too enjoyed various kinds of pleasurable experiences. The satras prescribe that a woman should accompany their husband in this world and the next.

The refined Hemakanta, grief stricken, spoke the following words to his father, Somakanta.

Hemakanta said, O tiger amongst men, I cannot rule the kingdom, wives or riches. Just as a lamp without oil or a body without breath is useless, so too is this kingdom without you, O upholder of dharma.

Suta said, After he had drunk the ambrosial words of his ministers, wife and son, the king, delighted at heart, addressed his son concerning dharma.

The king said, A son who always obeys his father and faithfully performs the funeral ceremony, and who offers oblations to the ancestors is indeed a good son. A son like this will also bear a son. And he also knows the true meaning of the dharma sastras and of correct political conduct. Therefore my son, knowing this, I give my command for you to rule the kingdom. In cooperation with my ministers, rule these subjects as though they were your own children. Oozing with leprosy and beyond contempt, I will go to the forest with my wife Sudharma. Consent to this my strong vowed son.

Thus ends the second chapter of the Ganesha Purana Upasanakhanda called “The Renouncing of Somakanta”

Chapter 3 :

Suta Gosvami said, Rising up and taking his son by the hand, the king took Hemakanta to a room upstairs in the palace where they always took council. In that room stood a golden Nrsingasana bedecked with many precious stones and inlaid with pearls and coral and shined like the palace of Indra. Father and son sat together on that throne and although there were only two of them, they appeared to be many, reflected in every gem. Concerned for his son and his family’s honor, the king spoke first about personal conduct and then the art of politics.

Somakanta said, One should rise three hours before dawn. Sitting in a clean place one should meditate on his guru. Then one should meditate upon Mother Earth and ask her to patiently accept the touch of thy feet upon her. Then having meditated upon one’s personal loving God, one should first offer prostrations and recite the following prayers.

“At sunrise I offer my humble supplication to Lord Gananatha, who is the cause of this manifestation, who awards boons to the demigods such as Brahma and others, who abounds in the Agamas, who awards the results of the activities of dharma, artha, and kama, who is the cause of liberation for the human race, who is beyond words, who is the beginning, and who has unlimited appearances.”

“At sunrise I offer my humble supplication to Lord Shiva, the husband of goddess Parvati, who carries the moon on his head, who is dresses in a tiger-skin, who is pitiless toward mind-born lust, who awards boons to Visnu and Indra, who is loved by the demigods and perfected beings, who carries the damaru drum and trident, who wears a garland of snakes, and who is Puru’s enemy.”

“At sunrise I offer my humble supplication to Lord Visnu, the husband of goddess Laksmi, who possesses great strength, who manifests unlimited incarnations for the protection of the divine souls, who dwells in the ocean of milk, who is the controller of the demigods, who is the Supreme Lord – dispeller of darkness, who defeats all of his enemies and is also the cause of their liberation.”

“At sunrise I offer my humble supplication to the Sun, Lord of Light, who removes sins, who removes darkness, who is praised by divine beings, who is the three Vedas, who by means of illusion expelled the enemies of the demigods, and who is the cause of spiritual knowledge.”

“At sunrise I offer my humble supplication to Goddess Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas, who creates prosperity, who saves those who are drowning in the ocean of material existence, who possesses three eyes, who is the cause of the creation of matter, who by means of illusion expelled the enemies of the demigods, who is illusion personified, who is praised by the great sages and demigods and who is known as Suresi.”

After one has meditated on other demigods and sages in the same way and worshipped them in one’s mind, he should pray to them for forbearance. Then taking a water-pot, one should walk in a southwesterly direction from the village. One should also take along clay (white for a Brahmin, red for a Ksatriya, and black for a Vaisya or Sudra). One should never take clay from a riverbank nor an anthill or from the house of a brahmin. After one has covered the ground with grass he should pass stool and urine whilst facing the north or south. Whether it is day or night, having first cleaned one’s behind with grass or soft wood, one should wash there five times with clay and water. Then immediately after, one should wash the left hand ten times and both hands seven times. The genitals should be washed once and left hand three more times. After one has passed only urine, both hands and feet should be washed twice. For a householder it is prescribed that this should be done at least one time, but for one who is practicing austerities – twice, and for a sanyasin – four times. For purification, (both day and night) a woman or a sudra should do at least one-eighth of the latter.

After sipping some water and taking a piece of wood from the milk or thorn tree, one should clean his teeth and tongue. And thus praying, “O Lord Krsna, please give me strength, power, glory, energy, cows, intelligence, wisdom and knowledge of Brahman.” Then having taken one’s bath in cool water, one should perform the samdya worship with prayers and benedictions for his immediate family. Then one should offer libations to the ancestors and demigods, and practice the recitation of the Vedas. Finally one should perform worship to one’s personal loving God. One should then offer food to the demigods, deities and guests under the guidance of the Brahmins. One should also listen to the recitation of the Puranas, give gifts in charity and avoid criticizing others. With loving words, energy and wealth, one should be very generous to others and never hurt anyone’s feelings or engage in self-praise. One should always be faithful and respectful towards one’s guru nor be offensive toward the Vedas. One should always respect and act dutifully towards one’s mother and father, guru and the cows. One should give food and clothes to the weak, blind and poor. And most importantly, always be truthful in speech and honest in all of one’s dealings.

Those who are virtuous enjoy the king’s favor but those who are not are to be punished according to the Dharma Sastras but only after consulting with those learned in politics and the law. One should never have confidence in those who do not inspire the same. But do not have excessive confidence in those who are overly confident, if one wants to survive. And especially do not be confident in those who are overly confident and who are violent also.

By ruling the kingdom through the principles of the Dharma Satras, one should create prosperity for all. Give in charity according to one’s capacity, otherwise you will become weak minded. When there is confusion, always choose the right path. The king alone shall mete out punishment. He should always be represented honestly through ambassadors and be of handsome appearance.

Only through fear of punishment do ordinary people adhere to their own duties. Otherwise how would they discern the difference between right or wrong. In praise and blame one should remain equipoised. If in the past one has injured another or has lost his riches, yet now comes for refuge, he should always be afforded that. The advice of spies should be utilized for the protection of the kingdom. Having subdued the six enemies of the soul such as sensuous desires, he should strive to conquer the rest. An excellent king sees to the livelihood of everyone and not the deprivation of his subjects, the demigods, the parks or places of worship. To attain renown he should give gifts and charity during the recommended phases of the moon. He should not issue commands to his friends or divulge secrets amongst women. He should help cows stuck in the mud and release a Brahmin from debt. He should never tell a lie or abandon the truth. He must captivate the hearts of his ministers, subjects and dependents. And he should always pay homage to God and the Brahmins.

When he had taught his son, Hemakanta, everything about political conduct, as it is presented in the Vedas, in respect to its standard usage, which brings about peace, is very pleasing and directs the sciences, noticing that the hour was auspicious, the king summoned his ministers. They immediately gathered together many Brahmins from their homes who were expert in Vedic knowledge and skilled in sacrificial rites. Then the king invited other kings and queens, his own friends, the city chiefs and the citizens to witness the consecration of his own son, Hemakanta, the subduer of enemies. After the king worshipped Ganesha and Shiva, according to the rite, asked for his mother’s blessings and then performed the obligatory funerary ceremony. He then refreshed the Brahmins with fruit juice and completed his son’s consecration to the accompaniment of Vedic hymns. Somakanta then made the following statement to his three principal advisors.

The king said, Here is my son, ministers. Be prudent. My son is in your hands alone. Since those who are skilled in politics carry out my orders, so they too, including the chiefs of the cities, should obey his order.

Thus ends the third chapter of the Ganesha Purana Upasanakhanda called “The Description of Conduct”

Ganesha Gita

Varenya said, ‘In the world of birth and death many difficulties arise, and they are very hard to endure. Remover of obstacles, kindly show me the path to liberation now. How can there be bondage in the realization of You, Dviradanana? Declare to me that teaching by which I will attain liberation, that yoga through which I will give up desire, anger and the fear of death.’

Brahma said, “After having listened to this speech, Gajanana kindly sat Varenya on a comfortable seat and placed his hand on his head. Then he began to teach him the Ganesha Gita, casting away all his doubts by presenting His universal form. As soon as he understood the essence of the Gita from Ganesha’s instruction and having transferred the kingdom to his ministers, he went to the forest. Filled with detachment, the accomplished King meditated on Gajanana, fixed on nothing else, and always preached the Gita. Just as water thrown into water stays only as water, so he came to consist of Him by meditating on Him.’

Vyasa said, ‘Four-faced one, Lord of the gods, recite the Ganesha Gita with the highest compassion. For it removes all ignorance.'”

Brahma said, “This very thing was previously requested by the great Saunaka Rsi. The sage recited the Gita as he had heard it from Vyasa’s mouth.”

Chapter 1

Saunaka said, ‘You have tasted this nectar which is told in the eighteen Puranas. I also wish to drink this supreme nectar that has an extraordinary taste, with which a man, having been filled with this nectar attains the Supreme Brahman. Blessed one, tell me compassionately about that nectar of this yoga.’

Vyasa said, ‘Herewith I will tell you that Gita which presents the path of yoga. Saunaka, it was entrusted to that inquisitive king by the elephant-faced God.’

Varenya said, ‘Lord of obstacles, mighty-armed God, who is skilled in all the sciences, and who knows the true meaning of all the sacred texts, please tell me about this yoga.’

Gajanana said, ‘O King, your intention has been well determined through my favour. I am going to tell you that Gita which consists of the nectar of yoga. They say that this yoga is not the yoga of prosperity, nor obtainable through the objects of the senses, nor obtainable through the material elements either. The union of mother and father is not yoga, overlord of men, nor is the union with sons, kinsmen and others, nor is it the yoga with its eightfold mystic powers. It is not the yoga of union with women as stated in the sutras. Nor is it the yoga of sovereignty over a kingdom, nor the yoga of controlling elephants and horses, nor the union with Indra’s world, nor the yoga loved by those whose goal is yoga, nor do I consider that yoga union with the heavenly realms. Yoga is not union with Siva’s abode, nor with the abode of Visnu. This yoga does not pertain to Surya, Chandra, nor Kubera, nor Vayu, nor Agni, nor to become immortal, nor to surpass time, nor to become Varuna or Nirriti, nor to reign over the entire earth. Those without true spiritual knowledge practice yoga, Protector of the earth, which is of various kinds.

In the world those who have truly attained yoga have overcome hunger, thirst and the desire for progeny. They purify all the worlds and have brought the three worlds under their control. Their hearts are filled with compassion and they enlighten everyone. They are liberated whilst alive and are immersed in the pool that has the form of the highest bliss. After closing their eyes they see the Supreme Brahman in their heart. They meditate on the Supreme Brahman who has appeared in their heart by this yoga. They consider all beings to be identical with their own self. With their hearts filled with compassion, they wander on the Earth irrespective of whether anyone cuts or strikes them, whether anyone is attracted to them or whether anyone seeks refuge with them. For the purification of all living beings, their anger and senses conquered, they merely carry their bodies. Protector of the earth, a mound of dirt and gold are the same to them. Those who come into contact with such a rare soul are very fortunate, dearest one.

I will tell you about this excellent yoga. Listen attentively, for hearing about it a man is released from evil acts and from the ocean of material existence.

Any yoga involving a fixed mind resting on Siva, Visnu, Shakti, Surya and on me, protector of men, is the right yoga in my opinion. I alone, having taken various froms, create, protect and destroy the world for my own play. I alone am Maha Visnu, I alone am Sadsiva, I alone am the great Shakti, I alone am Aryaman, dear one. I alone am the Lord of men who previously appeared as the five principle incarnations.

Because they are ignorant they do not know me as the cause of the cause of the world. I am considered to be fire, water, earth and I am considered to be ether and air, Brahm, Visnu, Rudra, the world protectors and all the directions, the Vasus, the Maruts, the cows, the sages and the animals, rivers, oceans, yaksas, trees and flocks of birds, and the twenty-one heavens, the snakes and the seven forests, humans, mountains, the sdhyas, perfected beings and hosts of raksasas. I am the witness, the eye of the world, untouched by all actions, the unchangeable, the immeasurable, I am the un-manifest, omnipresent and imperishable. I alone am the Supreme Brahman who possesses everlasting bliss, King.

My power of maya deludes all these excellent men. The material elements are perceived by the six senses. A person should always concentrate intensely on Me, after gradually leaving behind the veil of illusion over many births. After becoming indifferent to the objects of the senses, one should know Brahman through right knowledge. Brahman cannot be cut by strokes of a sword, nor burnt by fire, nor can it be made wet by living creatures, nor dried up by the wind. Nor can it be killed, even when the body is destroyed, Protector of men.

Those ignorant people who are obsessed with the Vedas praise the flowery words uttered in the Vedas and think of nothing other than that. They always engage in activities that produce birth and death as its result. They are obsessed with power and heaven, their minds are scattered and their intellect absorbed in carnal enjoyment. They produce their own bondage by themselves, Protector of the Earth. Those ignorant men obsessed with activity are joined to the wheel of samsara. One engaged in activity should do it and offer the results to Me, because the huge sprouts of the seeds of karma will be cut off for him. His mind will be greatly purified. and he will gain spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Brahman is known (by the sages) through this knowledge. Therefore, Overlord of men, one should perform actions with the intellect absorbed in Me.

But nobody should not act and abandon his own duty. If one gives up actions, then one will not find success. Initially he has no command over knowledge and it is appropriate to focus on action. One whose heart is purified by action achieves a unified intellect. Moreover, that yoga is declared to be conducive to the state of immortality.

I will describe another yoga. Hear about it, Protector of the Earth, as it is superb. A man should see with equal vision an animal, a son, a friend, an enemy, kinsman and a good friend. With detachment he should have the same attitude towards joy, pain, patience, elation and fear, sickness, carnal enjoyments, victory and defeat, acquisition and loss of wealth. In gain and loss and in death, he is the same and sees Me within and outside all things. Who sees Me always in Surya, Soma, water, fire, Siva, Shakti, in the heavenly musicians, humans and the lower creatures, he is the knower of yoga, it is said. And within the brahmin, in the heart, in the great river, in the sacred ford, in the sacred place, in the removal of evil, in Visnu, in all the gods, and Yaksas and Uragas.

After comprehensively removing the senses from their own objects by means of discrimination, the intellect assumes impartiality in regard to everything. I consider this to be yoga, Protector of the Earth. Through the discrimination of the self by the self the intellect of that man, attached to his own duty, emerges by the power of providence. Hence it is that yoga that is said to be real yoga. United with the intellect, a man now abandons both action and non-action. After that, he should continually practice yoga. Yoga is prosperity in what is enjoined in the sastras.

After giving up the results both action and non-action, a man of integrity, his senses conquered, is freed from bondage and birth and goes to the salubrious place. When a man’s intellect will overcome the turbidity of ignorance, then he gradually becomes dispassionate towards the words of the Vedas and so forth. When the intellect of that person whose mind diverges from the three Vedas becomes stable and rests on the Supreme Self, then he attains yoga. When a wise man gives up all the desires in his mind, dear king, wholly satisfied with himself in his own self, then his intellect is said to be firm.

The man who has no desire in respect of any of his friends and who is not agitated when encountering pain, and who is without fear, pain or passion, is then said to have a firm intellect. Just as the tortoise contracts its limbs, so too should a person absorbed in yoga withdrawal his own senses from their objects. The objects of the senses disperse for the embodied person who fasts. He comes to be without passion and when passion disappears he will see Brahman.

On assuming the steadiness of the yogi, the learned person always strives for yoga (because the senses which become agitated can at any time forcibly draw away the mind). The man who is self-controlled and has brought the senses under control will always be absorbed in Me. Whoever has their senses restrained is considered to be one who has attained intelligence.

For the person who reflects on the objects of the senses, attachment to them arises. Desire then arises and anger increases from that. From anger ignorance arises, then loss of memory. From loss of memory, there is a failure in correct thinking. From that, his spiritual life is ruined.

Without hatred, passion and the objects of the senses, that man should act through the senses. The heart, which is free from the control of the senses, increases its satisfaction. When one is satisfied there will be a casting away of the three kinds of pain. And the person who has situated himself within wisdom will have a peaceful heart. Without peace, there is no correct thinking. And without that, there is no contemplation, there is no peace, and without peace where does happiness come from? Since the mind follows the senses, which are like horses wandering after their objects, it will, therefore, destroy correct thinking, like the wind destroys a boat in water.

What is night for all beings, he never slumbers. What is day for all beings, that is his night, Protector of the earth. Just as rivers come to the ocean from everywhere, so one who has material desires will never have peace. Therefore, after the man has completely blocked the senses from everything in the world, they flee from their objects and his intellect is then firm. After giving up all thoughts of ‘Me-ness’ and ‘I- ness’, he should give up all his desires and should then focus on intuitive knowledge. From intuitive knowledge he will become liberated.

Protector of the Earth, you are he who knows the wisdom of Brahman because of fate, and after obtaining yoga you will become liberated by your nature.”

Om. This is the truth. This is called ‘The Essence of Yoga’ in the conversation between Lord Ganesha and King Varenya in the Uttarakhanda of the blessed and great Ganesha Purana in the learned treatise on the immortality of yoga, in the blessed Ganesha Gita which is the essence of the Upanisads.

Chapter 2

Varenya said, ‘Lord, you have declared yoga in knowledge and yoga in activity as being two spiritual paths . After comtemplating the two, tell me which one produces the best result.’

Gajnana said, ‘In this world of moving and non-moving beings these two were initially declared by me, dear King, in respect to the yoga of the intellect for those of the school and the yoga of prescribed actions for those who discharge duties in the world. By not undertaking prescribed actions a man becomes inactive. He gains no success simply by abandoning his duties, King. No one ever remains inactive even for a moment. He is subject to the cosmic forces produced from nature and is compelled to act. But by continually restraining the senses, the man who performs actions remains fixed in consciousness. But because of one’s attachment to sense objects, the fool declares this as stupid behavior.

Having first restrained all of the senses with the mind, he should undertake his duties as the yoga of action by means of the senses. Because he has no material desires, he is superior, King. Action, done without attachment, is superior to non-action. Even the maintenance of the body will not be achieved by inaction. And those who have not offered the results of their actions to Me are bound by them. The imperishable soul should, without attachment, always perform his duties and offer the results to Me. Then any actions performed for Me will never bind one to this world. Action contains unconscious psychic impressions and forcibly binds the embodied soul.

After having produced the social classes, I first explained the sacrifices, dear King. One should continually perpetuate the sacrifices as they satisfy all desires like the wish-fulfilling tree. You must act to please the gods and they will in return please you. By pleasing each other you will permanently obtain the highest goal. The chosen gods, when well satiated, will give to you your desired corporeal enjoyments. A man who consumes what has been given by the gods, without offering back to them, is a verily a thief. Those who eat the remains of what has been offered as a sacrifice will be freed from all reactions. Those who cook for themselves without offering back to the gods eat selfishly. Beings arise from food. The origin of food is from the gods and the origin of the gods is from the prescribed sacrifices. The prescriptions originate from Brahma and Brahma originates from Me. Hence, Protector of the earth, know that I am present in all sacrifices.

Those who are intelligent will easily cross the ocean of material existence. But the ignorant man who dallies with the senses and happily enjoys them will not. The man who is delighted with the inner self, who rejoices in the self, who enjoys everything, who is satisfied with the self, has no materials desires at all.

He does not acquire the good and evil (results) of those who do what should and should not be done. Amongst all men he really accomplishes nothing at all.

Therefore, with an attitude of non-attachment, Protector of the Earth, men should undertake action in non-action. One who is attached to the results of his actions, does not obtain the path, but such a man never obtains Me. Previously, sages who were kings and brahmins obtained the highest perfection. So one should undertake such activity for the benefit of all the worlds. Because the prosperous person engages in action, so should every man. Since he considers that the standard, therefore he also should follow that. In the world there is no goal at all that is to be accomplished by Me, Overlord of men. Though I do not need anything that should be gained, I too engage in action. But if, individualistic and prompted by laziness, I do not engage in action, all the social classes will follow my example, Oh intelligent King. Then that world will fall in ruination. I will become known as the destroyer of that world and the cause of collapse of the social classes.

Those who have material desires always perform action ignorantly through desire. The wise man, his mind detached, will act for the benefit of all the worlds. One should not associate with ignorant materialists. Absorbed in yoga, one who engages in action should offer all the results to Me.

Absorbed in ignorance with lust, anger and greed as his companions, a person performs actions tirelessly. His intellect contaminated by the ego, he has said, ‘I am the doer.’

But he who knows the truth of the self, and has conquered his senses and action, is detached, thinking, ‘Action has occurred in the field of the senses.’

Those who are infatuated by the senses perform action for a result. The person who has realized the self should not associate with those who are unreceptive towards their own self and who are lacking in faith. Accordingly, the wise man should offer the continual and occasional results of sacrifice to Me. After giving up the idea of “I” and “mine”, he will obtain My Supreme Abode.

All those without envy who possess devotion and practice righteous activity, as I have described, are liberated through all their actions. But those whose minds are dominated by what is inauspicious and do not practice this, know these envious, foolish, ruined people, to be my enemies. In like manner a person who has knowledge engages in activity due to the influence of cosmic nature. However, one who stubbornly engages in activity selfishly is considered to do so in vain.

Desire and anger originate in the objects of the senses, but those in knowledge do not work under the influence of either, since they destroy him.

One’s own dharma whether it is done imperfectly is better than the perfect duty of another. When one stays within one’s own duty then liberation is awarded at death. The other produces fear in the other world.’

Varenya said, ‘When a man commits evil acts, by what is he urged, even against his own will? Though he may not wish it, Heramba, he is impelled on as if by force.’

The illustrious Gajnana said, ‘Anger and desire are huge evils which arise from two of the cosmic strands – passion and ignorance. Both cause bondage in the world. Know them both to be the worst enemies. Just as illusion covers the world, just as steam covers water, just as a rain cloud covers the sun, so do desire and anger cover everything. The intuitive knowledge of one who is in illusion is always covered by hatred, itself filled with desire, energetic, difficult to nourish and impetuous. He exists with the mind and the intellect depending on the pull of the senses. When wisdom is covered by anger and desire, it confuses the person who would otherwise possess intuitive knowledge.

Hence, after first restraining the senses, a man conquers his mind. Evil arises from the mind and brings an end to intuitive and discriminating knowledge. The senses are superior to the intelligence, yet the mind is superior to that. The intellect is superior to the mind and the self is superior to the intellect. After understanding the self by the self and having steadied the self by the self, and after slaying the enemy which takes the form of desire, he attains the highest peace.”

Om. This is the truth. This is called ‘The Yoga of Action’. It is the second chapter in the conversation between Ganesha and Varenya in the Uttarakhanda of the illustrious and great Ganesha Purana in the learned treatise on the immortality of yoga, in the illustrious Ganesha Gita which is in the essence of the Upanisads.

Chapter 3

The illustrious Ganesha said, ‘Formerly, at the time of creation, having produced three bodies relating to creation, maintenance and destruction, I described the supreme yoga to Visnu. He told it to Aryaman and he to Manu, his own son. From him the great sages knew it as it had come from their lineage. But after a long time, it will be destroyed in the final cosmic period, because it will not be fit for funerary rites, it will not be trusted and will be sung imperfectly, King.

You have heard from my mouth this yoga which originated in the past. It is more secret than any secret, it is the secret of the Vedas, supreme and auspicious.’

Varenya said, ‘Gajnana, being born into this world, how did you first tell this superb yoga to Visnu?’

Gajnana said, ‘Both you and I have had many past births. I remember them all. You cannot remember any of them. Great-armed king, the gods led by Visnu, were born from Me alone and after the cosmic destruction, everything is again absorbed in me alone. I alone am the Supreme Brahman and I alone am the Great Rudra. And I alone am this world and its moving and immovable things. I am unborn, imperishable, the elemental self, having no beginning, the Lord. Though my illusory energy, between the creation, maintenance and destruction of the worlds, I am born within many wombs. When there is an increase in irreligion and a decrease in religion, I am reborn to protect the good and to anilate the miscreants. Having destroyed the evil ways, I will re-establish true religious principles, and, happily engaging in divine pastimes, I will kill the malevolent and the demons.

Taking many forms I preserve the social classes, the ashrams, and the good. He who knows those divine births of mine millennium after millennium, all my actions, heroic deeds and diviner forms, and gives up the ideas of “I and Mine”, he is not reborn in this material world.

Without desire, without fear and without anger are they who take refuge in Me, who are absorbed in Me. Many who are purified by austerities in the form of discriminating knowledge have approached me. With whatever form of conviction, those excellent men worship Me, the imperishable, I award them the corresponding result of their devotion. There will be other men, King, who follow my other paths and in that manner alone they conduct their daily business with self-interest and by helping others. Desiring the fruit of their actions they please various deities. In this world they quickly obtain the result that is derived from such acts.

From portions of rajas, sattva and tamas and from the portions of the results of past actions, the four social classes were created by Me in the world of mortals. The wise know me as both doer and non-doer, without beginning, the Lord, constant, untouched by the qualities which arise from actions.

Karma certainly does not bind him who knows the absence of desire. Having first understood this, those who want liberation perform action. Understanding this, a man is freed from all bondage to ignorance that is certainly caused by connection with the psychic traces from earlier actions, from what is eaten, and by transmigration in the world. Hence I will now tell you about action and non-action, in respect of which the sages who have understanding become free from delusion.

The truth of action and non-action are realized by a person who seeks liberation. The path of those who are profound comprises three kinds of actions in the world, dear one.

Whoever has knowledge of inaction in action and the understanding of action in inaction, will be liberated in this mortal world while performing all his actions. Without the fruition of past actions what man would begin any actions. The wise declare the intelligent man as one whose actions are consumed by a vision of the truth. After giving up the desire for results of one’s present activities, he will always be satisfied, even without striving. Though ready to undertake activity, he does nothing at all. Without desire, self-controlled, given up possessiveness, doing only those duties required for his maintenance, he does not fall from his position. Having adopted the view that there are no opposites, being without greed and having the same attitude towards success and failure, very happy in the world because he has attained such a state, he engages in activity and is not bound. He who possesses intuitive and discriminating knowledge is freed from all sense-objects. All the karmic results of activity he engages in for the sake of sacrifice is destroyed.

Thinking, ‘I am fire, the oblation, the offered, the burnt offering and I am offered to You,’ he should realize Brahman, since he is devoted to Brahman alone. Some yogis speak that karmic destiny is the sacrifice. Others think that the fire of Brahman is the sacrifice. Others offer the senses into the fire of restraint, Protector of the earth. Others offer the sense objects, sound etc., into the fires of the sense organs.

Others offer the actions of their vital breaths and sense organs in the fire of the joy of their own Self kindled with knowledge or with the austerity as the substance of recitation of the sacred texts to oneself.

Ascetics sacrifice to Me with severe vows and knowledge. They cast their outgoing breath into their incoming breath and their incoming breath into their outgoing breath. And after suppressing the movements of both, they focus on restraint of the breath. Once he has conquered the breaths, he offers the movements of the breath into them. In this way, devoted to various sacrifices, their evil actions are destroyed by the sacrifice. Those who eat the nectar of the remains of the sacrifice proceed to the eternal Brahman. This world is not for the man who does not sacrifice. Whence where will there be another world for him? By knowing, Protector of the Earth, that all these sacrifices, which are of three kinds – pertaining to the body and the rest, are grounded in the Vedas, you will become free of any attachment. Of all sacrifices, the sacrifice of knowledge is considered the best. All results of actions are dissolved in knowledge that leads to liberation.

True knowledge, O tiger of men, can be known by humbly questioning and serving the self-realized soul. Those who are enlightened will speak only truth. A man who, due to many attachments, does not hear from self-realized soul, will, in consequence, act in the world of transmigration and enter material bondage. Through attachment to the good soul there arises good qualities and the disappearance of misfortunes. This sort of good fortune is gained in this world and in the next. Material fortune is easy to obtain, King, but association with the good soul is difficult to find.

Once he knows what should be known he is not reborn here or there. Then he sees all beings as his own self, that same man intent upon committing sin is freed from even that.

Different kinds of actions are instantly burnt in the fire of knowledge. Just as a fire that has been started does not instantly turn everything to ashes, other purifications, King, are not identical with knowledge.

In time yogis realize the self through yoga. The devotee who conquers the senses and concentrates the mind on the Self, he will obtain divine knowledge. After gaining That, which is Supreme, he becomes liberated after a short time. But the person who has no devotion, who has no faith and always doubts, he has no discriminating knowledge that is a refuge here or in other worlds. There are those who the results of actions have been destroyed by yoga, who are intent upon knowledge of the self, and whose doubts are destroyed through knowledge. These actions do not bind. Therefore, having forcibly cut the doubts in the heart, which have arisen by ignorance, by the sword of knowledge, a man should stay fixed in yoga.”

Om. This is the truth. This is called ‘The Attainment of Knowledge’. It is the third chapter in the conversation between Ganesha and Varenya in the Uttarakhanda of the illustrious and great Ganesha Purana in the learned treatise on the immortality of yoga, in the illustrious Ganesha Gita which is in the essence of the Upanisads. .

Chapter 4

Varenya said, ‘You have described renunciation and the yoga of action. But of these two, tell me Lord, which one is certainly the best.

Gajnana said, ‘The yoga of action and the renunciation of action are both practices for liberation. Between these two the yoga of action is distinguished from the renunciation of action. That person who is not affected by duality, who does not hate and desires nothing, renounces and is instantly and easily freed from bondage. They say that the acceptance of action and the renunciation of action have two different results. With just incomplete knowledge influenced by attraction for that yoga, the wise man attaches him self to one. Whatever is gained by renouncing the result of action is the fruit of yoga. Whoever knows this yoga as the acceptance of action, knows truly.

Only the wise know that renunciation is not the abandonment of action. The yogi in action who acts without desire becomes situated in Brahman. Pure, with his self and mind restrained, his senses conquered, he is completely absorbed in yoga. Whilst seeing the self in all beings, he acts without being tainted. The one who knows the truth and whose self is controlled by yoga, does not think, ‘I am acting’. They regard the eleven senses as the enumeration of actions.

He who acts should offer all actions to God and is not tainted by evil or merit, in the same way as the light of the sun, which moves, truly is not affected by which it touches. After giving up desire – pertaining to the body, speech, intellect, the senses and the mind – for the purification of consciousness, those who know yoga perform actions. One who is not situated in yoga who simply desires the fruits of action, is bound by the seeds of action. This eventually becomes one’s unhappiness.

After mentally renouncing all action within the mind the yogi becomes happy. Neither acting for his own enjoyment, nor causing others to act in the same way, he rejoices in any condition either good or bad.

Neither action nor the vehicle of action is created for anyone by Me. There is no interference and every action is done automatically through My energy. King, I do not cause the good or evil reactions for anyone. Those who have a poor fund of knowledge, their intellect covered by maya, are perplexed. Of those whose ignorance is destroyed by the self through discrimination of the self, their excellent knowledge shines like the sun. Those who are absorbed in Me, those whose minds definitely rest in Me, whose thoughts are on Me, who are fixed on Me, having discriminating knowledge, they are not reborn, their karmas destroyed. Those great munis who see with equal vision a dog, a dog eater, cows and elephants and all living creatures, and a brahmin who has discriminating and intuitive knowledge, always experiences the world as heaven. Seeing all equally, they are liberated whilst alive. Since Brahman is pure and equal, It is therefore perceived by them. After having experienced what is considered pleasant or unpleasant, they are neither elated nor distained. Resting in Brahman, in full knowledge, they know Brahman, regarding all things as the same spirit.

Varenya said, ‘What happiness is there in the three worlds when one is born as a demigod or a heavenly musician? Kindly, tell me Lord, as you are skilled in all knowledge.’

Ganesha said, ‘The man who delights in his own self and is attached to his own self, attains bliss and eternal happiness, for there is no happiness in the realm of the senses. Enjoyments which arise from the objects of the senses are the causes of misery and are connected to birth and death. The wise man is not attached to them. Given that desire and anger have a cause, he is able to conquer them by leaving aside worldly aspirations and he thus attains lasting happiness. Absorbed in the soul, eminating in the soul, happy in the soul, he who delights in the soul, and is the well-wisher of all living beings, will certainly gain the imperishable Brahman. They conquer the six enemies and are tranquil and controlled

Listen! For those who know their own self Brahman eminates everywhere. Seated in yogic asanas having controlled the mind through detachment from the objects of the senses. After concentrating the mind in the center of the brow, he sits, focused on breath control, which is the suspension of the inward breath. The insightful sages declare it to be of three kinds. Understand the division to be of weak, middle and highest standard. Pranayam is said to be the weakest because it has twelve vowels. It is declared to be middlle because it has twenty-one vowels. It is declared to be at the highest standard when it has thirty-six light vowels. Just like a lion or a tiger is compared to a furious elephant in weakness, so are ordinary living beings compared to the yogi. A person should control outward breath and the inward breath. One does not hurt animals nor people who have come under their auspices, King, just as air which is controlled burns away one’s karma, but not one’s body.

In whatever way a man might climb the stairs, so the yogis will bring the breath and the downward-moving-breath under control. After that the man should practice the drawing up of air, the stopping of breath and breathing out through one nostril. After that he will become one with the world and will know the past and the future. The concentration of the mind is considered be the result of the excellent twelve-vowel exercise of hatha yoga.

There is yoga that encompasses two acts of concentration. The master of yoga should always practice one. Whoever does this, lord, comes to know the three worlds. The triple-world will effortlessly come under his control, king. He sees the world in his own self under the form of Brahman.

In this way yogic asanas or renunciation of action give the same result to the person who does good for people and is not attached to the results of his action. After he knows Me as the mighty Lord of the triple-world, he gains liberation.

Om. This is the truth. This is called ‘The Two-fold Yoga and Renunciation’. It is the fourth chapter in the conversation between Ganesha and Varenya in the Uttarakhanda of the illustrious and great Ganesha Purana in the learned treatise on the immortality of yoga, in the illustrious Ganesha Gita which is in the essence of the Upanisads.

Chapter 5

Gajnana said, ‘My dear King, not desiring the results of one’s activities, whether they be termed transcendent or ritualistic, the yogi is recommended to perform his duties, not by ceasing action, but from a reliance on yoga. Mighty-armed King, I consider that devotional service alone is the cause for attaining yoga. Peacefulness and restraining the senses are considered the causes for success in siddha-yoga. Focusing on the objects of the senses is considered the enemy of oneself. The yogi who ignores the craving of the senses gains success.

One’s own self exists only through the self. We do not exist as separate from the self. Whether in friendship, or enmity, in freedom or imprisonment, in honor, disgrace, unhappiness and happiness, or with a close friend or amongst the good, in a friend, in an enemy, in indifference and hatred, sees iron and gold, the person who has conquered the self, who has discriminating knowledge, intuitive knowledge and continually has control over the senses, maintains the same equanimity. He becomes highly controlled when he practices yoga continually. Whether he is distressed, exhausted, confused, hungry, agitated in his thoughts, whether in time, in excessive cold, excessive heat or a mass of wind, fire and water, when quiet, very old, in a cow pen, in fire, near water, in a pool or in a hole, in a cemetery, on the bank of a river, near an old wall, near a funeral monument which has an anthill, in a country abounding in demons, etc., the knower of yoga, who is dedicated to meditation and yoga, should not practice yoga in inaction alone

Forgetfulness, being dumb, deaf, drunk, feverish and stupid always occur. They are flaws that arise through separation from knowledge. These flaws must be completely eradicated by one who habitually practices yoga, because a lack of diligence in respect of yogic practice, loss of memory and the rest certainly occur.

The yogi, never eating too much, but not eating too little, does not sleep excessively, nor does he remain awake to excess. He achieves success, Protector of the Earth, always practicing yoga. He should give up intentional desires and when restrained in eating and sleeping, after controlling all the senses, he should slowly withdraw the senses by means of the intelligence. He should withdrawal the fickle consciousness away from whatever it dwells on and, after concentrating the mind, he should diligently bring it under control of the self. Doing this always, the yogi attains the highest bliss and perceives his own self in everything and everything in his own self.

Whoever approaches me through yoga, I respectfully approach him also. I will liberate him, yet he should never abandon Me or I cannot free him. A person who has the same attitude in happiness, pain, exaltation, hatred, satiation and in thirst knows Me as omnipresent and knows all beings through the identity of the self. Liberated whilst alive, he is the lord of yogi’s because he is only attached to me. And he will be praised by the demigods led by Brahm.

Varenya said, ‘I think this yoga must be considered as having two kinds, since the mind is bad, fickle and difficult to hold, Lord.’

The illustrious Gajnana said, ‘Whoever restrains the mind, which is difficult to control, is liberated from the wheel of existence which is like a machine for raising water. I created the solid wheel with saws which are the sense objects. A man cannot split it when it is completely covered by the spokes of karma. Austerity, dispassion, absence of desire in regard to corporeal enjoyments, the blessings of a guru, association with the good: these are the instruments for victory over samsara. Or, through yoga, he should bring the mind under control for its success. Varenya, this yoga is difficult to gain without victory over the mind.’

Varenya said, ‘What is the world for a man who has fallen away from yoga? What is his opinion and what will the result be? Lord, you are omniscient, so resolve this doubt which carries with it the wheel as the intellect.’

The illustrious Gajnana said, ‘A man who has a celestial body and has fallen away from yoga after he has enjoyed superb enjoyments in heaven, will be born in the family of a yogi, in the family of those who are pure. This yogi is reborn again due to the mental formations produced by prior karma, for one who has accumulated merit never reaches hell. By being fixed in knowledge, fixed in intellect, fixed in austerities and fixed in right action, overlord of men, he becomes the best yogi. Amongst them, the very best is the yogi who is devoted to me.’

Om. This is the truth. This is called ‘The Yoga which concerns the Application of Yoga’. It is the fifth chapter in the conversation between Ganesha and Varenya in the Uttarakhanda of the illustrious and great Ganesha Purana in the learned treatise on the immortality of yoga, in the illustrious Ganesha Gita which is in the essence of the Upanisads.

Ganesh Purana describes the incarnations of Lord Ganesh as taking place in four yugas viz. the Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali Yugas, to destroy the Asuric forces and re-establish the equilibrium of the cosmic life.

I Mohatkata Vinayaka:

In the Vana kingdom, on the banks of river Ganga, there lived a pious Rishi Rudraketu with his wife Sarada. After a long time two sons were born to them, who were named “Devantaka” and “Narantaka”. The boys were handsome and strong and they propitiated Lord Siva and got a boon from Him that none whomsoever, whether it be a god, angel, human, demon or animal, could kill them. Thus they became invincible, and conquered all the three worlds. Narantak assumed sovereignty over the nether worlds and human world, and Devantak that of the heavens. Soon they upset the normal equilibrium of universal life by unleashing the rule of demonism everywhere.

The ancient sage Kasyapa and his wife Aditi were living happily in their Ashram. Aditi approached Kasyapa one day and said : “I have begotten as sons all the gods like Indra, Varuna, Vayu, etc. But I wish to have the Supreme Lord Himself as my son, so that I can love Him and serve Him in the form of my son. Kindly instruct me on the austerities that I should follow to fulfil my desire. The sage thereupon initiated Aditi into the secrets of meditation on Lord Vinayaka She performed severe penance and propitiated Lord Vinayaka. The Lord promised to be born as her son.

All the three worlds were suffering from the demonic rule of Narantak and Devantak and it was high time that the rhythm and harmony of universal life was set right And so Lord Ganesha decided to descend to the world as the son of Aditi. He manifested Himself in the humble Ashram of Sage Kasyapa and Aditi in all divine splendour The mother praised Him and at her request. He vieled His divine form and assumed the form of a normal human baby. His body was strong and muscular, and his face was serene and beautiful- Sage Kasyapa named him Mahotkata, meaning a person of strong physique. Hearing the news of divine child, all the rishis came to Kasyapa’s Ashram and blessed him.

The Asuras who were having a great time under the demonic rule of Narantak and Devantak also heard about the child and his million to destroy the evil doers. They also came disguised as humans and rishis to the Ashram to rid themselves of their enemy, Mahotkata, but they were all slain as stealthily by the child, as they approached.

The king of Kashi one day paid a visit to the Ashram to request sage Kasyapa, the preceptor of his dynasty, (Kula-guru) to solemnise the wedding of his son, the crown prince of KasiSage Kasyapa was at that time engaged in a long austerity and therefore he deputed his son Mahotkata who had attained sixteen years of age by then, to do the needful. The boy was ceremoniously taken to the kingdom. On their way, while passing through a forest, they suddenly beheld all the quarters filled with a strange light. Mahotkata jumped out of the chariot and rushed through the forests in the direction of the light and came upon Dhoomraksha, a demon who was practising severe austerities. He had succeeded in propitiating the Sun deity, and was about to receive an invincible weapon of destruction from the Sun. As the weapon was being given out to the” demon, the entire world was lit up by its brilliance Mahotkata dashed to the spot and grabbed the dazzling weapon and threw it on the demon himself which killed him instantaneously. The king was aghast with astonishment.

The king reached his capital along with Mahotkata, and since there were a few more weeks to go before the wedding ceremony was to take place, the intervening time ‘ was spent by Mahotkata in sportive acts. He was out most of the time exhibiting his talents and strength which kept the citizens wondering at his super-human powers and skill. Soon he won the hearts of everybody, and the people could not just think of passing a day without meeting Mahotkata. He destroyed a number of demons who had disguised themselves in the palace and in the kingdom as citizens.

Narantak had placed his spies all over the worlds. The reports from Kashi were very disturbing. Soon a time came when Narantak had to drop all disguises and attack the kingdom straightaway. People became panicky at the sudden assault of the most powerful ruler of those days, but Mahotkata gathered them up and put up a great fight and killed Narantak.

Oevantak could not tolerate the humiliation of a mere brahmin boy killing his invincible brother. He sent his eight powerful demons Kardama, Deerghadanta, Taalajangha, Yakshma, Ghantasura, Raktakesa, Kalaanthaka and Durjaya to destroy the armies of the king. But they were killed by the eight powers materialised by Mahotkata in the form of goddesses, namely Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Eesithwa, Praapti and Praakasya. Thereafter, it was a direct confrontation between Mahotkata and Devantaka. When Devantaka resorted to mean methods of fighting through black magic, Mahotkata assumed his divine form as Ganesha and confronted the demon. In the fierce battle that followed, Devantaka managed to catch hold of both the tusks of Lord Ganesha, but he was thrown away by the powerful push of the Lord- The demon’s hold on the tusks were however so strong, that while he fell on the ground, the tip of one of the tusks broke and came off in his hands. Lord Ganesha thrust His other tusk into the head of Devantaka and killed him.

Thus the demonic rule came to an end and peace and goodwill returned to all the three worlds. Mahotkata was honoured profusely by the king and the citizens. After solemnising the marriage of the crown prince, Mahotkata returned to his earthly parents, sage Kasyapa and Aditi. He told them that the purpose of His incarnation was over and that He had decided to withdraw from the world of humans. The parents were overcome by sorrow at the thought of separation from their darling son, but Mahotkata assured them that He would be present in astral form wherever the Divine Mother Bhavani is worshipped. And then He folded up His human form and ascended to His heavenly abode.

II Srimayuresh

In the Treta Yuga. there lived a righteous King named Chakrapani who ruled over the Mithila kingdom with Gandaki as its capital city. His queen was Ugra. The king was sad that he had no son to inherit the kingdom. Sage Saunaka of Puranic fame advised him to propitiate the Sun deity to beget a son, and initiated him and the queen Into a year-long austerity. After a few months, the queen became pregnant. As the child developed in her womb, she was subjected to extreme physical uneasiness and her body temperature started rising. A time came when she was unable to bear the foetus in the womb any longer and so she secretly went to the sea shore along with her nurses and abandoned the foetus in the sea. The king was sad at this act but he could do nothing.

The foetus developed into a boy It had a brilliant face with three eyes and its body was strong and muscular. When it cried, the whole earth trembled, and the terrified creatures of the sea fled for their lives. The sea god brought the boy to the palace and handed him over to the king. The king was overjoyed to get his son.

The boy was named Sindhu because of his birth on the sea shore He grew up fast, and after completion of his studies, performed severe austerities, propitiated the Sun deity and obtained from him powerful weapons of destruction, which made him invincible. The king handed over his kingdom to the son and retired to the forests with his queen. Sindhu defeated all the kings on earth and even extended his power to the nether worlds and heavens. He invoked Lord Vishnu by his penance and requested Him to come down to earth and stay in his capital city. Hearing this. Lord Siva decided to go away for the time being from Kailash along with Goddess Parvati and all the attendants (Ganas). As they passed over the plains. Mother Parvati was attracted by a serene and beautiful place, and alt of them decided to settle down there. Lord Siva, as usual, went into long spells of meditation while the Ganas served and worshipped Him along with the Rishis and other pious people who had gathered and camped around the place.

One day Mother Parvati asked the Lord: “On Whom are you meditating?”, and He said: ‘ On Him, Who is the supporter of the entire universe”. “Can I also meditate on Him and behold Him ?” she asked. “Of course”, said the Lord, and initiated Her into the mono-syllabled Ganeshamantra Gem, She repaired to a lonely and beautiful place on Lekhanadri hills and performed penance for twelve years. Lord Ganesha appeared before Her and asked what boon She wanted. Mother Parvati said : “I wish to have You as my son so that I can always see You and serve You”. “Be it so” said the lord, and He vanished.

Lord Siva, the Ganas, the Rishis and pious men greeted the news of Lord Ganesha’s incarnation as Mother Parvati’s son with great enthusiasm. And in due course, on the fourth day of the bright half of the Bhaadrapaada month, when the Swati star was in combination with the Moon, when the constellation of Leo was ascending (Simha Lagna), Lord Ganesha manifested Himself in front of Mother Parvati in all His divine glory. After prostrating to Him, the Mother requested Him to reveil His divine form and assume the form of an ordinary child so that She could take Him in Her arms and fondle Him. The Lord accordingly assumed the form of a handsome young child.

All the three worlds rejoiced at the “birth” of the Lord. Lord Siva performed the Jata Karmas of the child. The Rishis and the pious men beheld the boy as a personification of all great qualities (Gunas). On the eleventh day. Lord Siva named the child “Gunesha”. meaning the repository of all gunas. Gunesha grew up under the tender care and love of the divine parents ang in the company of the children of the Rishis. A number of demons who came to disturb the peaceful life there, were killed by Ganesha.

Once while chasing a demon, Ganesha along with the children came upon a mango grove full of ripe juicy fruits. They let themselves loose in the garden, plucking and eating the mangoes and throwing the seeds at each other. In that garden, atop a tree, a woman was keeping guard over a big egg and one of the seeds thrown by the children fell on her. Disturbed in her roost, she came down and started chasing the children. Ganesha immediately climbed the tree and took the egg in his hands. As soon as he did so, the egg cracked and out came a huge bird from it having a blue neck, a powerful peacock. It was so hungry that it jumped down in search of food and tried to swallow the running boys Ganesha jumped on the bird caught hold of its wings Then he mounted the bird and brought it under his control.

Seeing the victory of Ganesha the woman prostrated to him and said : “Lord I I am Vinata, wife of Sage Kasyapa This bird is my son My husband had told me that the person who would break the egg that I had laid, would become its master. I had been waiting here for years on end for this to happen- Now I am happy and have fulfilled my duty- My other sons like Jatayu, Shyena. Sampaati and others are held captive by the powerful serpents in their kingdom- Please be kind enough to release them.”

The peacock by this time had recovered from the pains of fight with Ganesha and surrendered to him. Mounting his new vehicle, Ganesha returned to his parents He was given the name MAYURESH the Lord of Mayur, by the Rishis Thereafter he conquered the serpent kingdom and released the celestial birds from captivity. He conquered a number of demons who had become powerful under the reign of the demonic king Sindhu. Seeing the superhuman capabilities of Mayuresh, Brahmaji offered His two daughters Siddhi and Buddhi in marriage to Mayuresh. However, he declined to marry them immediately. He wanted first to fulfil his mission of destroying Sindhu.

Seeing that Mayuresh had come of age. Lord Siva and Parvati decided to return to Kailashh, and the whole entourage set forth on their journey. On the way, a number of Asuras attacked them, but Mayuresh vanquished them all.

Sindhu became restless. He waged a war against Mayuresh, and sent his two powerful sons Dharma and Adharma to defeat the enemy. They were killed in the battle. Sindhu himself came upon the field; a fierce battle ensued and at last Sindhu was killed. With his death. Lord Vishnu and others were free to go back to their respective worlds. The cosmic rhythm disturbed by Sindhu, was set again to its normal equilibrium The marriage of Mayuresh with Siddhi and Buddhi was solemnised.

It was time for Mayuresh to fold up his manifestation in the world. So, one day, he conveyed his intention to Lord Siva, Parvati and others “When can I again have the privilege of having you as My son ” asked the Mother. “In Dwapara Yuga. I will again be born to you to kill the terrible demon Sindur, said the Lord. Kartikeya, younger brother of Mayuresh said : “Please don’t leave me alone- Take me also with you.” In a sweet brotherly voice Mayuresh replied: “Where am I going away from you I am the inner consciousness in all beings, and so I am very much in your heart also, at all times.” He then gave His Mayur (Peacock) to Kartikeya and addressed him as “Mayuradhwaja i “, and then ascended to His imperishable world.

III Sri Gajanana

It was Dwapara Yuga. The Lord of Kailash, Sri Mahadeva, one day paid a visit to the abode of Brahmaji, the Creator. Brahmaji was having a seista then; he woke up, stretched him self up and yawned. And lo ! from his yawning face manifested a big and beautiful male form. As soon as he materialised, he roared and his roaring rent the skies, upset the oceans and shook the mountains. Brahmaji recovered from his sleep and asked him : “Who are you, and wherefrom are you? What do you want?” The male said : “You are the knower of everything and why do you ask me these questions? I am your son, born out of your yawning face. Please accept me, give me my name, allot me a place to live, grant me my food, and tell me my duties.” Brahmaji was enchanted by the ravishing handsomeness of his son, and said : “Because of your flawless pink complexion, your name shall be SINDUR; you shall have the power to conquer all the three worlds. Whomever you would catch hold of in anger will drop down in a hundred pieces from your arms. You shall not fear anyone anywhere in all the three words, and you are free to roam about wherever you want.”

Sindur was happy and wandered through the worlds, setting waves of fear wherever he went. As he went about, a thought came to his mind : 1 did not perform any penance or undergo even the rudimentary education. How is that Pitamaha bestowed on me all these boons? How can I verify whether they are true ? He did not find anyone on whom he could experiment his strength. So he returned to Brahmaji and wanted to try the strength of boon on him. Brahmaji was taken aback. He said “Sindur ! I was enticed by your beauty and gave you all the boons, little knowing that behind your charming form was concealed a crooked mind. You have become a demon now. Lord Ganesh will soon incarnate as Gajaanan and destroy you.”

But Sindur did not leave Brahmaji in peace. He chased the Creator. Brahmaji took to his heels and ran all over the three worlds. He reached Vaikunta, the abode of Vishnu and sought shelter. Vishnu stopped the demon who was close behind Brahmaji and said : “Calm down, my son ! Your father is such an old person that it does not behove a man like you to fight him. Leave him alone.” “All right, then you fight with me I” said Sindur. Vishnu was in a predicament. He said : “Look I am a Satwic person and am engaged in the maintenance of this universe. To defeat me is not at all a problem for you. Well, if you really want a good fight there is Lord Siva in Kailash and He is an equal to you.’

“Be it then Lord Siva”, said Sindur and went straight to Kailash, He saw the Lord sitting in meditation there and thought : “This is a forest-dweller, an ordinary mendicant, with matted locks. He is not fit for a fight with me. But then his wife is a beautiful woman. I would rather have her.” And so he caught hold of Mother Parvati and carried Her away. The Ganas of Lord Siva gave a stiff fight but they were all defeated by Sindur. The commotion woke up Lord Siva from His Samadhi and He became red with anger at the act of Sindur. Immediately Mother Parvati thought of Mayuresh, and He appeared between Siva and Sindur. With a few powerful blows. Lord Mayuresh vanquished the demon and sent him down to the worlds below. He then assured Mother Parvati that as promised earlier. He would be born as Gajaanan through Her and redeem the world from the cruelties of demon Sindur; so saying He disappeared.

In the lower worlds, Sindur, the personification of brute force and blunt intellect, easily became a hero of the demons. He organised them into a powerful gang and let loose a reign of terror in the world. The pious and learned ones left their homes and took shelter in mountain caves. The gods were also not spared by Sindur and his gang. The helpless victims of his tyranny assembled together and sang hymns on Lord Ganesha.

In Kailash, Mother Parvati developed signs of pregnancy. After a few months, She told Lord Siva of Her wish to go down to the plains. And so they all came down, and while moving about, they spotted a beautiful lake surrounded by deep woods, and set up their camp there. In due course, Mother Parvati gave birth to a divinely beautiful child. It immediately took the form of the Supreme Lord in all His replendence. The Mother praised Him with divine hymns, and at Her request, the Lord changed Himself into the form of a small child, but with a difference. It developed a round bulging head, its eyes were small, its ears were like two windows, and its nose was like the trunk of an elephant. It had four arms, its stomach was pot bellied and its legs were short and its complexion was red.

The Mother was sad to see the distorted form to which the child had turned. All the people around Her were expecting to see the handsome child of the divinely beautiful Mother Parvati and the Supreme Lord Siva. How could $he show this deformed child to them? They would all laugh at this ugly form, and would even say : ‘Is this the end result of all careful tendering and nursing with which the Garbha (foetus) was protected and developed by Mother Parvati ?’ When she was thus lost in Her thoughts, Lord Siva came there, and immediately understood the mind of Parvati. He said to her : “Please don’t be carried away by the external appearance of things. By looking at the external appearance, no one can know the inner make-up of people. Who do you think this red complexioned, four-handed elephant faced, pot-bellied form is ? Remember the Lord’s promise to you that He would be born as your son in Dwapara Yuga as Gajaanana to kill the demon, Sindur ? How is it that you are not able to recognise Him in all forms; for He is the One in Whom all these worlds exist, and all forms are His only. And He is again going to be born of you in Kali Yuga with the complexion of smoke (Dhoomra Varna)”

The child turned to the Mother and said : What the Lord has said is true. I have been born to kill the demon Sindur. Now, you have to do a job for me. Please transport me immediately to the palace of King Varenya in the city of Maahishmati on the banks of river Narmada. Varenya and his queen Pushpika are both deeply devoted to me. Pleased by their devotion, I had promised them that I would be born as their son. Pushpika has just given birth to a baby, and she is lying unconscious by the pains of labour; and the baby has been stolen by a demoness. If the queen comes to know of that, she will die of sorrow. So before she gains consciousness put me by her side, so that she will be convinced that I am her child”. Lord Siva immediately summoned Nandi, the chief of the Ganas, and asked him to carry out the mission.

When queen Pushpika came to her senses, she saw her newborn child lying by her side. She was aghast to see the weird form of the child, which had four arms, an elephant face, potbelly and of red complexion. All the people who came to see the child were taken aback by its ugliness. The court astrologer predicted that the child would be the cause of destruction of the royal dynasty I So they decided unanimously to abandon the child in the forests where it would be eaten up by wild animals. And thus the child was carried to a deep jungle and left there.

Sage Paraasara had his ashram nearby He spotted the child laughing away in its innocence, and was struck with wonder at its strange form. He took a close look at the child and saw divine signs on its legs, hands and forehead. With least hesitation he lifted the child, embraced it and took it home. He explained to his wife, Vatsala, the strange signs on the child. They brought him up with all tender love and care. Lord Siva and Parvati were happy to know that Gajaanan was safe in Sage Paraashara’s ashram. They decided to return to Kailash.

Gajaanan mastered all the knowledge and arts which his foster father imparted to him. When he was nine years old, a strange thing happened in the ashram. A huge mouse appeared there and it set about destroying everything that came its away. It was so big and powerful that all creatures in the forest were afraid of it. Mother Vatsala and sage Paraasara were helpless against the ferocious mouse. Gajaanan who was playing outside, came in and saw the terrified parents.

On seeing Gajaanan the mouse disappeared into the lower worlds. Gajaanan however, made a loop with the rope in his hands and threw it down and entangled the huge body of the mouse in it. The mouse tried to wriggle out, but in vain. Gajaanan pulled it up to his side and subdued it. He then mounted it and made it his vehicle The humbled mouse then narrated its story. It said “I am a Gandharva; once, while hurriedly getting out of Indra’s durbar, I happened to trample on sage Vamana, the short statured tapaswin. and he cursed me to be born as a mouse. When I appealed for mercy, he said that his curse could not go in vain, but that I would meet Lord Gajaanan in sage Paraashaa’s ashram and would become his vehicle, whereby I would become worthy of worship even by gods.” So saying, he surrendered to Gajaanan, and became his vehicle.

Gajaanan now decided to fulfill the mission of his life After taking his foster parents’ permission, he equipped himself with Arnkusa, Parasu (axe), Paasa (rope) and Padma (lotus flower) in his four hands, mounted the mouse, and reached the eity of Sindur and challenged the demon. In the fight that followed, Gajaanan strangled the demon by his powerful hands and killed him. The Rishis and Devas showered flowers on the victorious Gajaanan and sang his praises King Varenya who had abandoned him because of his ugliness, repented and prostrated to the Lord. Gajaanan then gave a sermon to the king, which came to be known as GANESH GEETA. And then. He disappeared from the mortal world.

IV Dhoomraketu

In Kali Yuga, the present cosmic epoch in which we are now living, the Lord will incarnate as Dhoomraketu with smoky complexion and riding a horse. In Kali Yuga people will be short-lived and their minds will be laden with all kinds of negative thoughts and feelings There will be general chaos in all spheres of life, and people will give up all good and noble values of life. Dhoomraketu will redeem the world from its fall into dark age of Kali and restore peace and happiness and re-establish the righteous pattern of living.

32 Forms of Lord Ganesha

As with the 64 forms of Shiva, 32 forms of Ganapathi are recognized in the Agamic scriptures

1. Baala Ganapathi – Red colored image of a four armed Ganesha

2. Dharuna Ganapathi – Red colored image of an eight armed Ganesha

3. Bhakti Ganapathi – Grey colored image of four armed Ganesha

4. Veera Ganapathi – Red colored image of 16 armed Ganapathi

5. Shakti Ganapathi – Red colored image of 4 armed Ganapathi, seated with his consort to his left

30. Yoga Ganapathi – Red colored image of Ganesha in the posture of a yogi

31.Durga Ganapathi – Red colored image of Ganesha with eight arms

32.Sankatahara Ganapathi – Red colored image of four armed Ganesha clothed in blue, seated on a lotus peetham with his consort to his left

Bala Ganapati – The beloved child
The elephant-faced child is depicted with four arms and is the color of the rays of the rising sun. He holds a banana, mango, jackfruit and sugarcane in his hands and his favourite sweet, the modaka, in his trunk.

Taruna Ganapati – The youthful Ganesha
The young Ganapati is shown as being red in colour like the noon-day sun. In his hands he holds a noose, an elephant goad, modaka sweet, wood-apple, rose-apple, his broken tusk, a sprig of paddy, and a sugar cane branch.

Bhakti Ganapati – God of devotees
Depicted as being of the colour of the full moon of autumn, in his hands a coconut, mango, banana, and a cup of payasam (milk-sweet).

Veera Ganapati – The valiant warrior
In this form Ganapati is shown with a red complexion, eight pairs of arms and a stern look. In his hands he holds a goblin, spear, bow, arrow, chakra (discus), sword, shield, large hammer, gada(mace), goad, noose, pick-axe, battle-axe, trident, serpent and banner.

Shaki Ganapati – The powerful one
Holding in one arm the green-coloured Shakti (power personified in female form), Shakti Ganapati is depicted as being the colour of the sky at sunset. He holds a noose, a garland of flowers and one hand in the abhaya mudra, offering blessing to his devotees. This form of Ganapati is part of Tantric worship.

Dwija Ganapati – The twice-born
Four-headed, like Brahma, he holds a book, rosary beads, kamandalu (vessel used during worship), and a danda (staff). He is the colour of the moon and wears lightning-like bangles on his arms.

Siddhi Ganapati – God of achievement
Of the colour of golden yellow, he holds a mango fruit, stick of sugarcane, a bunch of flowers and an axe. In his trunk, the fifth hand, he holds a sweetened ball of sesame seeds.

Uchhishta Ganapati – A Tantric deity
Holding Shakti (his female power) in one arm, in his remaining hands he holds a blue lotus, pomegranate, a sprig of paddy, veena (musical instrument), and prayer beads. He is depicted as being blue in colour.

Vighna Ganapati – Creator of obstacles for the evil
Of golden hue, he is eight-armed and holds, like Vishnu, a shankha (conch) and chakra (discus). He also holds a sprig of flowers, sugarcane bow, flower arrow, axe, noose and garland.

Kshipra Ganapati – Quick-acting god
Handsome of appearance and red in colour like the hibiscus flower, he holds his broken tusk, noose, goad and a sprig of the kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling) tree in his hands and ratnakumbha (pot of precious gems) in his trunk.

Heramba Ganapati – Protector of the weak
With five faces and the dark green colour, he rides a lion. Two of his hands are in the abhaya (protective) and varada (giving) postures. In his other hands he holds a noose, tusk, prayer beads, garland, axe, big hammer, modaka sweet and fruit.

Lakshmi Ganapati – Giver of success
The goddesses, Siddhi (achievement) and Buddhi (wisdom) in either lap hold blue lotuses in their hands. His one hand is in the varada (giving) posture, and in his other hands he has a noose, goad, parrot, a sprig of the kalpavriksha tree, kamandalu (prayer vessel), sword and pomegranate. In this form he is of pure white colour.

Maha Ganapati – The great one
With a complexion like ripe paddy, he holds his shakti, who has a lotus in her hand, on his lap. He has three eyes and the crescent moon on his crown. He holds a pomegranate, gada (mace), sugarcane bow, chakra (discus), lotus, noose, blue lily, sprig of paddy, tusk, and pot of gems. This again is a Tantric form.

Vijaya Ganapati – The giver of success
Of red complexion and riding a rodent, he holds a goad, noose, tusk and mango in his hands.

Nritya Ganapati – The happy dancer
Of golden colour, Ganapati in this form dances under the kalpavriksha Tree. He wears rings on his fingers and holds a noose, goad, axe, tusk and sometimes a sweet cake in one of his hands.

Urdhva Ganapati – Tantric god
Holding a green-complexioned goddess, he holds in his hands a blue flower, sprig of paddy, lotus, sugarcane bow, arrow and tusk. He himself is of golden colour.

Ekaakshara Ganapati – Of the single letter (Gam)
Red in colour, clad in red silk, wearing a garland of red flowers and with the crescent moon on his crown, he is three-eyed with short arms and legs. He carries a pomegranate, noose and goad in his hands. His fourth hand is in the varada (wish-giving) pose. He sits in padmaasana (yogic lotus pose) and rides the mouse.

Vara Ganapati – The giver of boons
Of red complexion, he has three eyes and wears the crescent moon on his head. He holds the noose, goad, a dish of honey in his hands, and a pot of jewels in his trunk. In the Tantric representations of the deity, he is shown with a goddess on his lap.

Tryakshara Ganapati – Of the three letters AUM (OM)
Of golden colour, he has fly whisks in his flapping ears. He holds a noose, goad, tusk, and mango fruit in his hands and a modaka sweet in his trunk.

Kshipra-Prasada Ganapati – Who rewards promptly
Adorned with ornaments and seated on a throne of kusha grass, in his form his huge abdomen stands out. He holds a noose, goad, lotus, pomegranate, tusk and a sprig of the kalpavriksha tree.

Haridra Ganapati – The golden one
Yellow in colour with bright yellow raiments, he holds a noose, goad, tusk and modaka sweet in his hands.

Ekadanta Ganapati – Of the single tusk
Blue in colour and with a huge abdomen, he holds in his hands an axe, rosary beads, laddu (a sweet) and his broken tusk.

Shrishti Ganapati – The creator
Riding a large rodent and of red complexion, he holds in his hands a noose, goad, tusk and mango.

Uddanda Ganapati – Punisher of evil
This Tantric deity carries on his lap his shakti (power) a green-coloured female form holding a lotus in her hand. In his ten hands he holds a pot of gems, lotus, blue water lily, gada (mace), sugarcane, sprig of paddy, noose, garland, pomegranate and tusk.

Runamochana Ganapati – Who releases humanity from bondage
Of white crystal-like mien, he is clad in red silk garments. He holds a goad, noose, rose apple and his tusk in his hands.

Dhundhi Ganapati – Of Kashi
Often of sindura or red colour, he has prayer beads, his tusk, a ratnakumbha (pot of gems) and an axe in his hands.

Dwimukha Ganapati – The god of two faces
Bluish-green in colour, wearing red silk garments and a gem-studded crown, he holds in his four hands, a noose, goad, tusk and a pot of gems.

Trimukha Ganapati – The three-faced deity
Seated in the middle of golden lotus seat with a complexion as red as the palasa flower, this form of Ganapati is shown with the left hand in an abhaya (protective) pose and the right in the varada (reward-giving) pose. He also holds a sharp goad, prayer beads, noose and pot of nectar.

Simha Ganapati – Riding a lion
With the lion as his vehicle, in this form Ganapati is white in colour and also holds a lion in one hand. In his other hands are a sprig of the wish-fulfilling tree, the veena (musical instrument), a lotus, a bunch of flowers and a pot of gems.

Yoga Ganapati – The great yogi
Holding himself in a yogic stance, and bound in a yogic girdle, he is the colour of the easily morning sun and wears garments of the blue of Indra. In his hands he holds prayer beads, staff of the yogi, noose and sugarcane.

Durga Ganapati – The saviour
Of a huge body and burnt-gold complexion, he holds prayer beads, an arrow, goad and tusk in his right hands and a noose, bow, flag, and rose apple fruit in his left. His garments are of red colour.

Sankatashara Ganapati – Remover of sorrow
Seated on a red lotus seat and clad in blue, his complexion is that of the rising sun. On his lap he holds his shakti, (power) who is of female form, green in colour, holdinga blue flower in her hand. In his hands he holds a goad, noose, and a vessel of payasam (milk-sweet). His right hand is in the varada or boon-giving pose. When not in the Tantric form, Sankatahara Ganapati is represented in celibate form.

108 forms of Ganesha

Gajavaktra – Elephant-Mouthed
the elephant-mouthed Ganesha is very fond of sweets. With a huge belly signifying wealth and the modaka sweet in his hand, symbolic of the realised Inner Self, he persoifies love.

Akhuratha – One With Mouse As His Charioteer
Lord Ganesha, with a huge body, has a small mouse as his charioteer. The hugeness matters little when the study of life principles is considered. The soul may be the greatest or the smallest. This represents life in its totality and Lord Ganesha is suggestive of these cosmic aspects.

Alampata – The Eternal
By whose puissance this world of illusion is manifest, whose creation is this universe, who is the Lord of all gods and creation, he is the Eternal, Lord Ganesha.

Amit – One Who Has No Comparison
Ganesha is the embodiment of ‘OM’, the symbol of the Great God. He is the Eternal Sprit, the Beginning of all beginnings, beyond comparison.

Anantachidrupamayam – Infinite and Consciousness Personified
He who is the root cause of the worlds, who is uniquely manifest in the hearts of all, can be realised only by concentrated meditation. Lord Ganesha, the Infinite, is beyond distinctions and beginning.

Avaneesh – Master of the Whole Earth
As a rotund, elephant-faced figure, Lord Ganesha is the Lord and Master of the whole Earth. Heis the protector of the visible world and leader of the helpless, destroying all evil and obstacles.

Avighna – Without Obstacles
The mighty, massive Ganesha, mounted on his vehicle, bestows everything desired if his devotees chant his name with fervour and devotion. He is also responsible in keeping away all obstacles from their path.

Balaganapati – The Beloved Child
Lord Ganesha is adored by all the gods, even by the four-faced Brahma, and Lord Indra. As the elephant- faced child, he is the colour or the rays of the rising sun.

Bhalchandra – Sporting The Moon Crest
A moon crest adorns the forchead of Lord Ganesha. It denotes a pot of nectar, providing divine coolnes to the wearer. It is also denotes intelligence and mental enlightenment, the moon being the symbol of mind and peace.

Bheema – Gigantic
The massive Lord Ganesha reposes on the jewelled throne with the snare, the hamulus and the lotus flower in his hands. On his forehead reposes the moon. He is four armed, has a single tusk, a trunk askew, a pot belly and he is gigantic.

Bhoopati – Lord of the Lords
Bhoopati, also called Ganapati, is the Lordof the lords, the Master of the ganas or celestial hordes. He is worshipped by Brahma himself and is worshipped in all the three worlds.

Bhoovanpati – Lord of the Lords
Bhoovanpati is the Great God Himself to whom even the Trinity – Vishnu the Protector, Shiva the Destroyer and Brahma the Creater – pay obeisance and propitiate Him to save the world from evil.

Buddhinath – Lord of Wisdom
Lord Ganesha, the Lord of wisdom, is the repository of all knowledge. His illimitable erudition makes even Goddess Saraswati and Sage Narada bow their heads in awe.

Buddhipriya – Bestower of Knowledge
Buddhipriya, the repository of knowledge, bestows guileless discreation to the worshipper. As ruler of the Mooladhara Chakra or plexus, he arouses a person’s latent energy or life force to take him to the Divine Light.

Buddhividhata – God Of Wisdom
By chanting Lord Ganesha,s name day in and day out, one gets richer by imbibing all knowledge and wisdom from him, who is of enlightened heart and unwavering wisdom.

Chaturbhujeti – Four-Armed
The four-armed Ganesha is an embodiment of truth, discreation, having control over money power and bondage. These four arms represent the four castes: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishys and Shudra, symbolically indicating his divinity.

Devadeva – Lord of All Lords
Lord Ganesha is the Master of all. He is always worshipped in the three worlds by all, and is the first to be reverenced among the celestials.

Devantakanashakarin – Destroyer of Demons
Lord Ganesha, the destroyer of evils, slew the powerful demons, re-establishing righteousness and peace in the three worlds.

Devavrata – Accepter of All Penances
The elephant-faced Ganesha is propitiated by all as He is Auspiciousness personified. he is the granter of boons and responds to penances of his devotees.

Devendrashika – Protector Of the Gods
Lord Ganesha, Protector of the gods, is their beloved. With a large form, who has the mouse as his vehicle, he is the embodiment of peace and tranquillity – the giver of peace to all.

Dharmik – One Who Favours Charity
The Great Lord Ganesha is gentle, forgiving and compassionate. He likes to prod man with his goad to the path of righteousness and truth so that he can leara to be charitable.

Dhoomravarna – Smoke-Coloured Body
The smoke-hued Ganesha is the beloved Lord of gods and mortals. His body is sometimes compared with a red lotus. His hands are ornamented with gem-studded bangles and his whole smoke-coloured image is enchanting.

Durja – The Invincible
Lord Ganesha, the elephant-faced, pot-bellied Lord is Infinite Strength and Power personified. He is deathless, has no beginning or end – he is invincible.

Dvaimatura – Son of Two Mothers
Goddess Parvati created a child from the perspiration that came off her body. Shelowered him into the River Ganga and he grew into a large being. Both Parvati and Ganga claimed to be his mother.

Ekaakshara – Of The Single Syllable
Lord Ganesha is the symbol of a single syllable ‘OM’, the symbol of the great God. He is also known aas Pranava, the sound from which the world emanated.

Ekadanta – He Of Single Tusk
The rorund, massive Ganesha sports a single tusk, a broken one, which symbolises him as beyond the rules of cosmic orderliness, as he is the cosmas itself. The broken tusk represents the shedding of the ego.

Ekadrishta – Single-Tusked
The single-tusked Ganesha stands for one direction. He gathers information from various directions, but having decided his course of direction, he does not waver. The single tusk represents the non-dualistic nature of reality.

Eshanputra – Son Of Shiva
Lord Ganesha is the elder son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Heis the elephant-faced son, having a simple broken tusk and trunk that is askew. He is the delight of them.

Gadadhara – Wielder Of The Mace
As Gadadhara, Lord Ganesha wields powerful weapons for destroying demons of evil. The gada or mace is the divine weapon used to wipe out evil and slay the asuras.

Gajakarna – Elephant-Eyed
The elephane-eyed Ganesha is the embodiment of goodness and virtue, his size belying his non-violent nature. The small eyes radiate wisdom and compassion, powerful, yet gentle.

Gajanana – Elephant-Faced
Lord Ganesha in the form of Gajanana, with an elephant face, is deemed to be a very auspicious symbol, warding off possible mishaps and troubles. he stands for power and strength.

Gajananeti – Elephant-Faced
The elephant-faced Lord Ganesha is one-tusked, has a large body with a huge belly, and is capable of destroying all obstacles.

Gajavakra – Elephant Trunk
Ganesha with his twisted trunk is symbolic of his vast knowledge and powers of discrimination, vital for spiritual progress. The curved trunk is shaped like ‘OM’, also symbolic of the life force energy.

Ganadhakshya – Lord Of The Celestial Hordes
Lord Ganesha is the Chief of the group of gods, the celestials. He is the Lord of all he surveys, the Master of the earth, the universe, the cosmos, all creation.

Ganadhyakshina – Lord Of The Celestials
Lord Ganesha is the Lord of the gods and is the beloved of all. As the Chief and Supreme God among gods, he is worshipped by all.

Ganapati – Lord Of The Ganas
Lord Ganesha is also called Ganapati, the Lord of the celestial hordes. He is the Supreme Deity, Lord Almighty, who rules over the entire kingdom of the gods.

Gaurisuta – Son Of Gauri
Gauri is another name of Goddess Parvati. Gaurisuta is Lord Ganesha, the deft son of Gauri. He enlightens and causes his mother’s face to blossom with his love and devotion.

Gunina – Lord Of All Virtues
Gunina, the Lord of all virtues, is Grace personified, making everything auspicious. His immense grace and radiance is supreme and ethereal, and is adored by one and all.

Haridra – The Golden One
Lord Ganesha, although smoke-coloured, is the Golden One, as he has a moon crest on his forehead, a sacred thread in the form of a serpent round his body, cheeks anointed with a vermilion paste, glowing golden like the rays of the sun.

Heramba – Beloved Of The Mother
Lord Ganesha is Heramba, the fire-headed Protector of the weak. He is his mother’s beloved, and is her protector.

Kapil – Tawny-Coloured
The tawny-coloured elephant-faced Ganesha is the God of wisdom who teaches that the path of sucess and achievement is through the use of intellect, and that through wisdom alone can one reach salvation.

Kaveesha – Lord Of Poets
Ganesha is the Lord of wisdom from whom emanates knowledge that is divine. All poets invoke his grace before picking up their pens, for he is the Lord of poets from whose divine pen flow divine words.

Kirti – Lover Of Music
Lord Ganesha is Nada Brahman, Lord of music. He is the repository of knowledge and a mine of virtues from whom emanates illimitable erudition, and cosmic music and rhythm.

Shambhavi – Son Of Parvati
Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shankar and Goddess Parvati. He is the playfully deft son and is adored by his parents. He enlightens and causes his mother’s face to blossom with love for him.

Shashivarnam – Moon-Complexioned
He who is attired in a white garment abnd who is all-pervading, is Lord Ganesha, the elephant-faced Lord with a moon – complexion that glows brightly, indicating mental enlightenment, the moon being the symbol of peace.

Vishwamukha – Lord Of The Universe
Lord Ganesha is the Supreme Reality, the Atman of all. He is the witness of all that is happening in the world. He is the Lord of the universe, the Supreme Being who has no beginning, who has no end.

Yagnakaya – Accepter of Sacrificial Fires
The clam and majestic Ganesha, with the strength and power of an elephant, is the Lord of the universe. He evokes great love and accepts the sacrificial fires offered to him by gods and mortals.

Kripakaram – Who Is Merciful
Lord Ganesha, as Kripakaram, wavy with profound kindness, is the sea exhibited by his eyes. He is ever merciful and the beacon of divine light.

Krishapingaksha – Black-Yellowish-Brown-Eyed
Lord Ganesha, whose eyes radiate power, compassion, wisdom and love, is omnipotent and infinite. His small eyes dazzle with the exuberance of the light of a million suns.

Kshamakaram – Adobe Of Forgiveness
Constant and regular chanting of Lord Ganesha’s name is a sure path for atomement of sins. He is the adobe of forgiveness, the seat of compassion, and most forgiving. Repose faith in him and he will protect you.

Kshipra – Quick-Acting
Handsome of appearance and red in colour like the hibiscus flower, he holds his broken tusk, noose, goad, and sprig of the wish-fulfilling tree in his hands and a pot of precious gems in his trunk.

Lambakarna – Large-Eared
The large-eared Ganesha is a mine of information gathered from all directions. His large ears are used for winnowing information, retaining only the essentials.

Lambodara – Huge-Bellied
The big-bellied Ganesha is the symbolof the whole universe – all that is conceivable in the whole cosmos – from which all events of the world emerge. It is symbolic of his capacity to assimilate the whole information.

Mahabala – Extremely Strong
Lord Ganesha, with his huge body, is symbolic of the cosmos or the universe. He is extremely strong and powerful, endowed with intellectual prowess.

Mahaganapati – The Omnipotent And All-Powerful
Lord Ganesha, the Almighty, the Supreme Infinite, is omnipotent and all powerful. His infinite form is beyond man’s comprehension, and is limitless.

Maheswaram – Lord Of The Universe
Maheshwaram, from whom the universe is born, is the Eternal Brahman. All the elements – earth, fire, air, water and ether – are manifest in him. He is the Supreme Lord of the universe.

Mangalamoorti – The Auspicious
Lord Ganesha is the personification of all that is auspicious. He who was worshipped by Lord Shiva before his vanquishing Tripurasur, by Lord Vishnu before his tying of Bali in the rope, by Lord Brahma before creating the world, by Parvati before her slaying the demon Manisha, is Mangalamoorti.

Manomay – Conqueror Of One’s Heart
Lord Ganesha is the God of all people, big and small, educated and illiterate. He is compassionate and forgiving, wise and intellectual. With his huge body, gentle eyes and calm countenance, he fills one’s heart with love.

Mritunjaya – Deathless
the Infinite Lord Ganesha has no beginning or end. He is deathless and the root cause of the creation. He is the embodiment of ‘OM’, the symbol of the Great God who has no end and is invincible.

Mudakaram – Abode Of Joy
Lord Ganesha is the home of Siddhi and Buddhi, the repository of knowledge and the adobe of joy. He bestows happiness and welfare to all.

Muktidaya – Giver Of Eternal Peace
Muktidaya is Lord Ganesha who grants security to his devotees, thereby providing eternal peace. He destroys all the obstacles that one may face when entreated by his devotees.

Musikvahan – He With The Mouse As His Vehicle
Lord Ganesha, with his massive body, favours the mouse as his beloved vehicle. The mouse, known to cause great havoc, is kept under the control of Ganesha by Serving as his vehicle.

Nadapratithista – Lover Of Music
Lord Ganesha is symbolic of the music and rhythm of the cosmos. He loves music and some times a veeena is one of the attributes seen in his hands. He is the patron of music and dance.

Namasthetu – Destroyer Of All Sins
Lord Ganesha is the sea-fire to end the sea. He purges the devotees of all sins by and impieties by his holy fire.

Nandana – Son Of Lord Shiva
Nandana, son of Lord Shiva, is the mind-born son of Lord Shiva, or, as popularly believed, the creation of Parvati. He is the elder son od Shankara, and the belovedof his mother, Uma.

Nideeswaram – Master Of All Kinds Of Treasures
Lord Ganesha, the repository of knowledge, is adorable, with his plump body, his tusk broken and single. His is the Lord of all wealth – material as well as spiritual – endowed with intrinsic qualities that command the respect of all.

Pashin – One Who Sits Like A Rock
Lord Ganesha is Infinite and Consciousness personified, solid and unwavering like a rock, who is unshakeable, Invincible, the seat of infinite power, the pure essence of luminous mind.

Pitambar – Wearer Of Yellow Clothes
Lord Ganesha, who wears clothes of white and yellow, personifies purity and uniqueness. With a deep knowledge of the self, he is the eternal sprit who is changeless yet causes change all around.

Pramod – Lord Of The Place
As Pramod, Lord Ganesha is the only refuge of the shelterless as he is Lord of the place. He is the Lord of the gods, the repository of wisdom, the seat of spiritual awakening, from whom creation has come.

Prathameshvar – One Who Holds the First Place
Lord Ganesha, the eternal spirit, the Brahman, is the God of Auspiciousness, holding the first place. He is the Beginning of all beginnings, worshipped by Mahesha and other gods.

Purush – The Supreme Authority
Lord Ganesh is Purush, the Supreme Authority. He is the Omniscient Lord Almighty who rules over the entire universe. He is the Ultimate Reality, the One Truth, the Manifest Spirit.

Rakta – Red-coloured
Lord Ganesha’s body hue is compared to the red lotus and his tusk to the vermilion blood marks when it is thrust into his enemies for destruction.

Rudrapriya – Beloved Of Shiva
Lord Ganesha, the beloved son of Shiva, is the Master of all, whose virtuous qualities are orisoned by even the creator, Brahma. He is Shiva’s revered and noble son.

Sarvadevatman – Accepter Of Celestial Offerings
As Lord of the gods, Lord Ganesha is happy to accept the loving offerings of the celestials. They adore and worship him, and as their master, and he bestows his grace on them.

Sarvasiddhanta – Provider Of Adeptness To His Disciples
The repository of wisdom and knowledge, Lord Ganesha bestows success onhis devotees. He who chants his name continually will be sure of being blessed with the ability to be adept in all his actions.

Savatman – Blesser Of The Universe
He who dwells in every heart in asecret manner, by whose command this entire world exists, who is Infinite and the Enlighter of the hearts, by knowledgw, he is Sarvatman, Lord Ganesha.

Shoorpakarna – Large-Eared
Lord Ganesha is the Lord with large ears. These large ears serve the purpose of gathering information from alll possible directions. Like a winnowing basket, His ears are receptive and attuned to every mortal’s cry of woe or praise.

Shuban – One Who is Auspicious
A prayer to Lord Ganesha precedes all worship for he is auspicious and nothing can take place without invoking his name. For, he is the remover of obstacles in one’s path, and the guarantor of success in all ventures.

Shubhagunakanan – Mine Of All Virtues
Lord Ganesha is the Lord of all treasures and virtues, symbolic of perfection and infinite beauty he is compassionate, forgiving, endearing and protector of all that is good.

Shwete – White Colour
The huge-bellied Lord Ganesha, with an elephant face, a single-tusk which is askew, has his body and clothes white, being worshipped on the shore of ocean of milk with white flowers. His face beams the beatitude.

Siddhidhata – Bestower Of Success
The chanting of Lord Ganesha’s name will pay rich dividends in the form of being bestowed with success. The Lord is the bestower of the desired abilities.

Siddhipriya – Bestower Of Boons
Siddipriya is Lord Ganesha who grants the desires and boons of his devotees. Being compassionate and large- hearted the elephant-faced Ganesha fulfils the wishes of workshippers.

Siddhivinayaka – Bestower Of Success
Lord Ganesha’s huge pot-belly is symbolic of wealth and success. He bestows both on his devotees, being the kind and compassionate Lord who grants them boons and showers them with success.

Skandapoorvaja – Older Than Skanda
Ganesha is the older son od Shiva and Parvati, and brother of SKanda (Karthik). He is the destroyer of the asura’s pride, and protector of the weak and helpless. He protects and loves his brother SKanda.

Sumukha – Of Auspicious And Pleasant Visage
His strange visage is in the form of ‘OM’ the sound symbolic of the cosmos in its entirely. He is the symbol of auspiciousness.

Sureshwaram – Lords Of All The Gods
Sureshwaram is Lord Ganesha as Head of the ganas or celestials. He is the Being, the Foremost Being, the very cause of the creation of the cosmos Lord Almighty.

Swaroop – Lover Of Beauty
Lord Ganesha, the Master of resourcefulness and prefection in all spheres, is a lover of beauty. His awkward body signifies that outward form has no connection with inner beauty and spiritual prefection.

Tarun – The Youthful
The youth Ganesha, ever youthful, is Wisdom personified. His huge body takes on the colour of red like the noonday sun, depicting the strength of youth.

Uddanda – Punisher Of Evil
Uddanda is Lord Ganesha as punisher of evil. He also forgives those who seek his pardon. He is the vanquisher of demons and remover of all obstacles.

Umaputra – Son Of Uma
Uma, another name of Pravati, desired to have a son. Lord Shiva granted her wish and Ganesha took form. He is the beloved son of Uma, her delight, and obedient servant, ever ready to serve her.

Vakratunda – Askew-Trunked
Lord Ganesha, the single-tusked one, is attribute with an askew proboscis or trunk, which symbolises power, capable of destroying all obstacles and evil.

Varaganapati – Bestower Of Boons
Ganesha is the bestower of all fruits of desire and granter of all adeptness that his workshippers seek. He is magnanimous and forgiving, being a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Varaprada – Granter Of Boons
Lord ganesha grants boona to his devotees. He is most efficacious. He gives knowledge to tha seeker of wisdom, prosperity to those desiring wealth. issues to the childless, and guidance of spirtual libration.

Varadavinayaka – Bestower Of Bounty And Success
The massive Ganesha, the granter of boon to his devotees, is the guarantor of success in all ventures. His devotees need never fear failure. As the benefactor of his devotees, he is greatly abored by them.

Vidyavaridhi – respository Of All Knowledge
Lord Ganesha is the God of wisdom. He incinerates ignorance by his divine fire and enlightens by his knowledge. He is a goldmine of knowledge and wisdom.

Vignahara – Destroyer Of Evils
Vignahara is Lord Ganesha, who like a vigorous wind, scatters away and destroys the dark clouds of evils. His name’s ever recollection removes all sins.

Vignaharta – Destroyer Of Obstacles
Lord Ganesha is a veritable sceptre that destroys all obstacles. He is the destroyer of multitudes of obstacles, destroyer of all afflictions.

Vighnanashin – Destroyer Of Obctacles
The askew-trunked Ganesha, also called vighnanashin, is the destroyer of all impediments. He is the destroyer of darkness created by obstacles.

Vighnaraja – Lord Of All Obstacles
The veritable sceptre to destroy all objects, Lord Ganesha is invincible. He is the inimitable jungle fire who destroys the jungle of troubles for his devotees. He is the destroyer of multitudes of obstacles.

Vighnarajendra – Lord Of All Obstacles
The noble Ganesha is the king of all factors causing obstacles. He causes obstacles for the demons and enemies, causing them to stumble and be vanquished.

Vighnavinashanaya – Destroyer Of All Afflictions
The four-armed Ganesha is sometimes attributed with eight pairs of hands that are symbolic of destruction of evil. He protects his devotees by destroying all afflictions.

Vigneshwar – Lord Of All Obstacles
Vigneshwar, the only sun to destroy the darkness caused by obstacles, the only fire to incinerate the jungle of impediments, the only Garuda to browbeat the haughty snakes of troubles, is the Lord of all obstacles.

Vikat – Of The Monstrous Figure
Lord Ganesha, the most adorable one, adored by all gods, is endowed with a huge, monstrous body, symbolising unity of the primeval forest denizen with man combining the physical energies of mortals.

Vinayaka – Lord Of All
As Vinayaka, Lord Ganesha is the Supreme Leader of all, being endowed with special qualities. He is the Chief of all the celestial demi-gods, and is ever adored by them.

Yashaskaram – Giver Of Frame And Glory
Lord Ganesha is worshipped by both the devas and the asuras, for he is the Lord of the gods. He gives prosperity, fame and glory to all the worlds, shining with a lustrous glow.

Yashvasin – The Popular
The pot-bellied, askew-trunked single-tusk Ganesha is popularly the beloved of all. He is the subject of those who sing his praise, the jewel from whose face flows nectar.

Yogadhipa – Lover Of Meditation
Lord Ganesha is the fountainhesd of wisdom, the Great God, that Eternal Truth, that Eternal Reality. His name is chanted at the beginning and end of meditation at all times.

Tasmayi Shri Guruve NamahaThe Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana MaharshiINTRODUCTION"Who am I?" is the title given to a set of questions and answers bearing on Self-enquiry. The questions were put to Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi by one Sri M. Sivaprakasam Pillai about the year 1902. Sri Pillai, a graduate in Philosophy, was at the time employed in t […]

Tasmayi Shri Guruve NamahaBhaja GovindamBy Sri Adi Sankaracharya (and his disciples)The Acharya is believed to have composed the Bhajagovindam during his famous pilgrimage to Kashi (Benares). The fourteen disciples are said to have accompanied him. The story goes that when he was walking along the streets of Kashi, he was pained to observe an elderly man try […]

Youtube kartikarjun

Jai Guru Dev

This Blog is an Humble attempt to spread the Divine Message of Pujjya BapuJi & Dedicated at the Lotus feets Shri Jai Shree Krishna VishwaGuru Of the Age.

The essence of Bharata lies in Her culture of Self-realization. ParamAtman is not seen as something apart, but as our very essence, the one True Self that resides in the heart of us all. Raising ourselves from ordinary individuals to the heights of Supreme Consciousness is only possible with the guidance of one who is already in that transcendent state. Such a one is called a Satguru, a True Yogi, as in one who has gained mastery over the mind, one who is beyond the mind.

From ancient times up to the present day, an unbroken succession of Self-realized Saints have incarnated in the Land of Yogis & Saints Bharata to lead seekers of Truth to the ultimate reality.